Cash-for-access scam: Two British MPs caught in sting op

LONDON: Two of Britain’s senior MPs have been caught in a “cash-for-access” television sting after they were secretly filmed offering their services to a fictitious Chinese company in return for thousands of pounds.
The ruling Conservative Party of Britain suspended senior party functionary and former foreign minister Malcolm Rifkind over the scandal. Jack Straw, Labour’s foreign minister when Britain went to war in Iraq, was also suspended from the party.
Malcolm Rifkind chairs the parliament’s intelligence and security committee. PM David Cameron confirmed a disciplinary inquiry into the allegations.
Reporters posed as staff of a fake Chinese firm and secretly filmed Malcolm and Straw offering their services for cash.
In the footage, Rifkind tells the reporters he has “useful” access to ambassadors, while Straw talks about how he worked “under the radar” to use his influence to change European Union rules for another company.
Malcolm was seen in the video saying that it is “unrealistic” to expect some MPs to live on their £67,000 basic salary. He also said, “I am self-employed. So nobody pays me a salary, I have to earn my income, but when I’m not doing something I can do what I like.”
The Tory MP said in his defence that it was not against parliamentary rules for MPs to have other employment as long as it was declared on a public register of interests. “There are probably 200 MPs who have various business interests on top of their salaries,” he claimed.
“If you’re trying to attract people of a business or a professional background to serve in the House of Commons, and if they’re not ministers, it is quite unrealistic to believe they will go through their parliamentary career being able to simply accept a salary of £60,000.
If an internal inquiry finds Rifkind guilty, he will lose his seat and will not be allowed to stand as the Tory candidate for Kensington and Chelsea at the upcoming general election on May 7 this year.
Cameron said, “These are very serious matters. We have very clear rules in this country which says MPs being paid to lobby is not acceptable — that is not allowed under the rules. It is right that Jack Straw and Malcolm Rifkind have referred themselves to the parliamentary commissioner, to have themselves investigated.”
Kounteya.Sinha
@timesgroup.com