Two top UK MPs caught in sting op selling access to policy makers
As the UK general elections in May draw near, Conservative and Labour parties were left embarrassed Monday after a sting operation showed two of their senior leaders offering a fictitious Chinese company access to policy-makers for cash.
Both – Jack Straw (Labour) and Malcolm Rifkind (Conservative) – previously held the post of foreign secretary in their respective party’s governments. After details of the sting operation emerged, both parties suspended them even as both denied breaking any rules.
The sting was carried out by Channel 4 and The Daily Telegraph. Titled Politicians for Hire, it was due for telecast on Monday night.
Rifkind, who was knighted in 1997, was recorded as saying he could arrange “useful access” to every British ambassador in the world, while Straw spoke of using “charm and menace” to change politicians’ minds
On an MP salary of £67,000/ year, Rifkind says on camera: “I am self-employed so nobody pays me a salary.” He said his usual fee for half a day’s work was “£5,000 to £8,000”.
Straw is shown describing how he operates “under the radar” and had used his influence to change EU rules on behalf of a firm that paid him £60,000 a year.
On payment, Straw says: “If I’m doing a speech or something, it’s £5,000 a day”.
Straw, who recently announced his retirement from politics after the coming elections, said: “This is not the way I expected to be spending my last few weeks in Parliament. But I have done nothing wrong”.
Straw and Rifkind have referred themselves to parliament’s standards watchdog.