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Two peers set to be suspended by House of Lords | Two peers set to be suspended by House of Lords |
(35 minutes later) | |
Two peers are set to be suspended from the House of Lords after being recorded offering to do paid parliamentary work by undercover reporters. | |
The Lords Conduct Committee wants the Labour peer Lord Mackenzie banned for six months. | The Lords Conduct Committee wants the Labour peer Lord Mackenzie banned for six months. |
It is also recommending that the former Ulster Unionist Lord Laird is banned for four months. | It is also recommending that the former Ulster Unionist Lord Laird is banned for four months. |
Reporters from The Sunday Times had purported to be consultants acting for a South Korean solar energy investor. | |
They were recorded offering to set up an all party parliamentary group to lobby for the fictitious company. | |
Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate - a former advisor to Tony Blair when he was prime minister - also broke the rule which bans members using the Houses of Parliament to host events for paying clients. | Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate - a former advisor to Tony Blair when he was prime minister - also broke the rule which bans members using the Houses of Parliament to host events for paying clients. |
In a separate undercover sting Lord Laird was caught by BBC Panorama journalists offering to set up a parliamentary lobby group for a fake organisation linked to Fiji. | |
The committee said that although Lord Laird had not signed any agreement with the fake companies he had "expressed a clear willingness to breach the House's Code of Conduct... that Members should always act on their personal honour". | |
The committee said that Lord Mackenzie had breached rules on the use of parliamentary facilities, on accepting payment for the provision of parliamentary advice or services and by showing a willingness to negotiate had breached the code of conduct's requirement to act on his personal honour. | |
The House of Lords needs to vote to approve the suspensions before they can come into force. | The House of Lords needs to vote to approve the suspensions before they can come into force. |
Two other Labour peers were investigated but cleared. | Two other Labour peers were investigated but cleared. |
Lord Cunningham - a former cabinet minister - and Lord O'Neill of Clackmannan also faced claims related to secret paid work for the solar company. | |
They are likely to be reinstated to the party. Lord Mackenzie is expected to remain suspended. | |