Dear Co-Conspirator,

Dear Co-Conspirator, The news that Stephen Byers is willing to offer himself for hire "like a taxi cab" frankly shocks even someone as cynical about politicians as I am.  Byers is a Privy Councillor entitled to call himself "the Right Honourable Stephen Byers MP".  Frankly that is now entirely inappropriate, so this email is asking you to support a campaign to have him stripped of the honour.  Please click the link at the bottom to sign the petition and perhaps consider making a donation to the Sunlight Centre's campaign against political corruption: Strip Byers of “Right Honourable” Membership of the Privy Council is what entitles one to be addressed as “the Right Honourable”. When Stephen Byers was made a member of the Privy Council he swore “by Almighty God to be a true and faithful Servant unto The Queen’s Majesty as one of Her Majesty’s Privy Council … And generally in all things you will do as a faithful and true Servant ought to do to Her Majesty.“ Surely whoring yourself out to change Her Majesty’s Government’s legislation “like a taxi cab for hire” falls outside the terms of this Oath? Being a member of the Privy Council is a great honour, it is the oldest political institution in the land after the monarchy itself, tracing its history back to the Norman monarchs.  Byers’ continuing presence on the Council sullies the institution, so given he is unlikely to resign himself he will have to be removed.  It is still possible to petition the Queen to have him removed and Guido has set up an online petition to do just that: “We, the undersigned, call on Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, to strip Stephen Byers MP of his membership of the Privy Council due to his involvement in offering to sell access to the British Government for personal profit.” Click here to sign the petition. Guido supports the Sunlight Centre for Open Politics which campaigns against political corruption and for transparency in politics.  Support their work here.