Britannia Radio

Yesterday I sent out two main stories of Brown's cronies from the 
banking world getting peerages and ministerial posts.  Now, to add to 
the story of complete corruption at the heart of Labour we have this 
story,  where 4 out of 5 Labour peers approached agreed to twist the 
law and corrupt parliament in return for substantial sums of money to 
be paid by a supposedly foreign client.

The other thing to note is of the 5 Conservative, Liberal Democrat 
and a Ulster Unionist peers NONE would touch the offer with a bargepole.

There's proof that Brown and his rabble are wrecking Britain.  They 
should GO at once.

xxxxxxxxxxxx cs
=========================
SUNDAY TIMES  25.1.09
Revealed: Labour lords change laws for cash

LABOUR peers are prepared to accept fees of up to £120,000 a year to 
amend laws in the House of Lords on behalf of business clients, a 
Sunday Times investigation has found.

Four peers - including two former ministers - offered to help 
undercover reporters posing as lobbyists obtain an amendment in 
return for cash.
Two of the peers were secretly recorded telling the reporters they 
had previously secured changes to bills going through parliament to 
help their clients.

Lord Truscott, the former energy minister, said he had helped to 
ensure the Energy Bill was favourable to a client selling "smart" 
electricity meters. Lord Taylor of Blackburn claimed he had changed 
the law to help his client Experian, the credit check company.

Taylor told the reporters: "I will work within the rules, but the 
rules are meant to be bent sometimes."

The other peers who agreed to assist our reporters for a fee were 
Lord Moonie, a former defence minister, and Lord Snape, a former 
Labour whip.

The disclosure that peers are "for hire" to help change legislation 
confirms persistent rumours in Westminster that lobbyists are 
targeting the Lords rather than the Commons, where MPs are under 
greater scrutiny.

Brendan Keith, the registrar of Lords' interests, said on Friday that 
taking a fee to help amend bills was a breach of the "no paid 
advocacy" rules which prevent peers from promoting the cause of a 
paid client in parliament. "The rules say that a member of the House 
must never accept any financial inducement as an incentive or reward 
for exerting parliamentary influence," he said.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, leader of the House of Lords, issued a 
statement yesterday saying: "I am deeply concerned about these 
allegations. I have spoken to the members who are the subject of them 
and I shall be pursuing these matters with the utmost vigour."

Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrat MP, said he would take up the 
issue with the Lords authorities. "Legislators in the Commons and the 
Lords are there to pass legislation on behalf of the country, not to 
change the law in return for financial favours," he said.

The Sunday Times began its investigation last year after Taylor had 
been forced to apologise for asking a question in the House on behalf 
of a paying client without declaring an interest. His friend Jack 
Straw, the justice minister, was reprimanded last week over an 
undeclared donation which had been arranged by the peer.

Our reporters posed as lobbyists acting for a foreign client who was 
setting up a chain of shops in the UK and wanted to secure an 
exemption from the Business Rates Supplements Bill. We selected 10 
Lords already had a number of paid consultancies. The three 
Conservative peers did not return our calls and a Liberal Democrat 
and an Ulster Unionist both declined to help after meeting the 
undercover reporters.

However, four of the five Labour peers were willing to help to amend 
the bill in return for retainers. Some were more forthright than others.

Taylor, a former BAE consultant, said he would not table the 
amendment himself but offered to conduct a "behind the scenes" 
campaign to persuade ministers and officials. After agreeing a one-
year retainer for £120,000, he said he would discuss the amendment 
with Yvette Cooper, chief secretary to the Treasury, and talk to 
officials drafting the bill.

Truscott, his Labour colleague, was also keen to help "behind the 
scenes" - for a fee of up to £72,000: "I can work with you . . . 
identifying people and following it . . . meeting people, talking to 
people to facilitate the amendment and making sure the thing is 
granted."

He said he would identify and talk to people who could be persuaded 
to change the legislation. He offered to contact MPs, peers, civil 
servants and John Healey, the minister in charge of the legislation.

Moonie offered to help for a fee of £30,000 a year and Snape 
indicated that he would charge £24,000.

By contrast Lord Rogan, the Ulster Unionist peer, said: "If your 
direct proposal is as stark as for me . . . to help to put down an 
amendment, that's a nonrunner. A, it's not right and b, my personal 
integrity wouldn't let me do it.