Labour’s union backers given passes to Commons
‘Cash for access’ allegations as eight MPs sponsor officials who handed them thousands in donations
LABOUR MPs are facing new “cash for access” claims after handing Commons passes to union officials whose organi- sations bankrolled their election campaigns.
Eight MPs, including five frontbenchers, who collectively registered donations of more than £60,000 from individual unions to help fight the 2017 election, have sponsored passes for union representatives. But Commons rules state that the passes must only be used for individuals employed as a member of the MP’s staff, to support their “parliamentary duties”.
The passes allow the officials aroundthe-clock access to the Commons and
All at sea
Lords, including the houses’ bars and restaurants. They can also bring guests on to the parliamentary estate.
Sir Alistair Graham, the former chairman of the committee on standards in public life, and an ex-trade union leader, said: “This looks like a fiddle and is unacceptable… Trade unions were passionately opposed to cash for honours so they should be equally opposed to cash for privileged access to the House of Commons.”
Ian Lavery, the Labour Party chairman, who registered a £10,000 dona- tion from Unite in July 2017 last year, sponsors a pass for Roisin McDermott, a parliamentary liaison officer for Unite, the country’s largest union.
Dan Carden, a shadow international development minister, registered a £20,000 donation from Unite in July last year when he was elected to the Commons for the first time. He now sponsors a pass for Steve Turner, the union’s assistant general secretary.
Unite also donated £8,000 towards the 2017 election campaign of Ian Mearns, the Labour MP for Gateshead, who sponsors a pass for Anneliese Midgley, Unite’s political director, while the GMB union donated a total of £20,000 to the election campaigns of Louise Haigh, the shadow policing minister, Azfal Khan, the shadow immigration minister, and Ruth Smeeth, a backbencher. Each of the MPs sponsor a pass for individuals who declare themselves as “political officers” for GMB.
Karl Turner, a shadow transport minister, sponsors a pass for Daniel Crimes, a policy officer at the RMT, and Jo Stevens, a backbencher sponsors a pass for Andrew Towers, head of political strategy.
A spokesman for Mr Carden said Steve Turner “carries out a key role as an unpaid adviser to Dan Carden MP on the automotive sector and precarious work as declared to House authorities”.
A spokesman for Mr Lavery said: “This is in accordance with the rules and meets all the transparency declarations required by the House of Commons.”
The other Labour MPs were contacted for comment but did not reply.