Key Takeaways
- Two long-serving peers, Richard Dannatt and David Evans, are to be suspended from the House of Lords for breaking lobbying rules.
- Lord Dannatt is to be suspended for four months for offering to secure meetings with ministers for a potential commercial client.
- Lord Evans is to be suspended for five months for offering access to ministers during discussions about a commercial deal.
- The Lords’ conduct committee ruled that both peers breached the requirement that members of the House of Lords act always on their personal honour.
- Neither peer challenged their punishments, which were handed down after undercover footage revealed their wrongdoing.
Introduction to the Scandal
The House of Lords has been embroiled in a lobbying scandal after two of its long-serving peers were found to have broken the rules. Richard Dannatt, the former head of the British army, and David Evans (Lord Evans of Watford) were secretly filmed by undercover reporters from the Guardian offering to use their positions to secure meetings with ministers and gain access to other parliamentarians. The footage revealed a clear breach of the lobbying rules, which prohibit members of the House of Lords from providing paid parliamentary services.
Lord Dannatt’s Wrongdoing
Lord Dannatt is to be suspended for four months after he was found to have offered to secure meetings with ministers for a potential commercial client. The undercover footage showed him telling reporters that he could make introductions to ministers and that he would "make a point of getting to know" the best-placed politician. This was not an isolated incident, as the Guardian uncovered three further cases in which Lord Dannatt had provided parliamentary services in return for payment. These cases involved corresponding with ministers and officials, and in two cases attending a meeting with a minister or senior official. The Lords’ conduct committee ruled that Lord Dannatt’s actions were a clear breach of the rules and that he had shown a willingness to undertake paid parliamentary services.
Lord Evans’ Involvement
In a separate case, Lord Evans was recorded offering access to ministers during discussions about a commercial deal worth tens of thousands of pounds. The Labour peer was also caught offering to introduce undercover reporters, who were posing as property developers hoping to lobby the government, to fellow parliamentarians. The Lords’ conduct committee ruled that Lord Evans had shown a "clear willingness to undertake activity that would have amounted to paid parliamentary services", thereby breaching the requirement that members of the House of Lords act always on their personal honour. Lord Evans is to be suspended for five months, a punishment that reflects the seriousness of his wrongdoing.
Consequences and Reactions
The suspensions of Lord Dannatt and Lord Evans are a significant consequence of their actions, and they reflect the seriousness with which the House of Lords takes breaches of its rules. Neither peer challenged their punishments, which suggests that they accepted the wrongdoing and the consequences that followed. The scandal highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability in the House of Lords, and it raises questions about the effectiveness of the current system for regulating lobbying. The case also underscores the importance of a free press in holding those in power to account, as it was the Guardian’s undercover investigation that brought the wrongdoing to light.
Conclusion and Next Steps
The suspension of Lord Dannatt and Lord Evans is a significant step towards maintaining the integrity of the House of Lords. However, it is only the beginning, and more needs to be done to prevent similar breaches of the rules in the future. The House of Lords must take steps to strengthen its regulations and ensure that its members are aware of their obligations and the consequences of breaching them. The scandal also highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability in the House of Lords, and it raises questions about the effectiveness of the current system for regulating lobbying. As the details of the case continue to emerge, it is likely that there will be further consequences and repercussions, and it remains to be seen how the House of Lords will respond to the challenges posed by this scandal.