Anonymity for MPs ‘will harm public trust’
MPs have risked further damaging public trust in Parliament by voting to remain anonymous while under investigation for wrongdoing, Britain’s standards watchdog has warned.
Lord Bew, the chairman of the committee on standards in public life, said his panel was “concerned” that the names of MPs being investigated over alleged breaches of Commons rules will no longer be made public.
The unusual intervention comes after Kathryn Stone, the Commons standards commissioner, also spoke out to say she was “disappointed” that MPs had decided to impose new restrictions about the information she can publish about cases she examines.
Lord Bew said: “We have concerns that a welcome step forwards in drawing together a policy on bullying and harassment could have the effect of reducing trans- parency in investigations about declarations or registration of interests, for example.
“As became clear as part of our recent report on MPs’ outside interests – transparency is an important part of promoting public trust.”
He added: “We don’t want to see positive steps in this area crowded out by concerns about reduced transparency.”
The Commons standards commissioner, who investigated breaches of the MPs’ code of conduct, has listed all MPs being investigated on her website since 2010.
Under a new system to tackle harassment, ongoing inquiries will not be routinely published, in order to give complainants confidence to come forward discreetly.
But under the changes, similar anonymity was applied to cases examined under the existing system for policing the Commons code of conduct. Andrea Leadsom, the leader of the Commons, claimed the change was needed for “consistency and fairness”.
However, Sir Kevin Barron, the chairman of the Commons standards committee, warned: “It will be presented as MPs trying to cover up their misdoings.”