Scandal leaves Lalit Modi’s UK buddy Vaz unscathed

Labour MP for Leicester East, Keith Vaz, now in the eye of the Lalit Modi storm, has a history and catalogue of upheld, un-upheld and incomplete allegations against him. The man who has acquired a slippery reputation, was re-elected Chairman of the powerful Home Affairs Select Committee (HASC) on 17 June, in the middle of the Lalit Modi controversy, and in spite of being reported to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards (PCS) by Andrew Bridgen. Bridgen, the Conservative MP from Vaz’s neighbouring North West Leicestershire constituency, had sought an investigation into his “conduct … for potential breaches of the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament in connection with his dealings with Mr Lalit Modi”. However, on Monday, 22 June, Bridgen received a letter from Kathryn Hudson (the PCS) denying his appeal only a matter of days after it was submitted.

In a 16 June letter — which he sent following a previous letter — Bridgen said, “I am writing to urge you to reconsider your decision not to investigate the conduct of Mr Keith Vaz for potential breaches of the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament in connection with his dealings with Mr Lalit Modi.” In his letter, which has been exclusively accessed by The Sunday Guardian, Bridgen questions whether Vaz has used his influence as Chair of the HASC to lobby senior immigration officials to assist Lalit Modi in obtaining a British Certificate of Travel (CoT), specifically by: