Former cabinet ministers haunted by corruption claims

I picked up an old copy of The Sun at work earlier and noticed a story that somehow had avoided my attention last week. It’s one that will rile and repulse the electorate just as cash for questions did so many years ago. Except I think this is worse.

In a similar vein to the sting that saw two Labour peers suspended from the House of Lords last year, three prominent former Labour cabinet ministers were exposed by the Channel 4 Dispatches programme for offering legislative influence in exchange for cash. These revelations led to them being suspended from the parliamentary Labour party – but without an in-depth enquiry into whether their third party funded lobbying actually did lead to changes in legislation and policy.

Former Transport Secretary and Business Secretary Stephen Byers, former Defence Secretary Geoff “Buff” Hoon and former Health Secretary and Business Secretary Patricia Hewitt were allegedly whoring themselves to third parties for up to £5,000 per day, providing lobbying power within a network of high profile Government cronies. Disgraced expenses fiddler Margaret Moran was also stung and suspended.

Byers described himself as a “cab for hire” whilst Hoon offered his experience to benefit something that “bluntly, makes money”. Moran, who has been “off sick” and unavailable to her constituents (but still claiming her MPs salary) since being exposed for being a second home flipper, looked fit and well as she postulated and pouted in pursuit of filthy lucre.

The arrogant Hewitt supposedly planted people on prominent Government think tanks for £3,000 a day.

All of these MPs are stepping down at the next election and will each receive a lump sum payout of around £65,000. Apparently it’s not possible to prevent them receiving this.

It’s all very depressing. Just how corrupt can MPs get?

Maybe we should expect this sort of behaviour from MPs; after all, is what Cllr Ron Bell did in taking money from Kensington not exactly the same? Could it not be followed that if the miracle of his election occurs, he will also be a sucker for a fistful of dollars?

I always believed that MPs were supposed to be honest and respectable people. Labour have redefined sleaze and taken it to a new level, but again should we be surprised? After all, their leader brazenly walked into the Iraq enquiry, told them a pack of lies and got away with it.

Scot free indeed…