PARLIAMENT is mired in sleaze again. This time, with a sense of déjà vu, it is cash for questions. Or to put it more correctly, undeclared paid advocacy.

MPs and members of the House of Lords are approached on an almost endless basis by people who want their voices heard.

I am approached by people seeking my support over things such as badger culling, public sector pension reform, single sex marriage, the EU and a whole plethora of issues.

And it is absolutely right that they should expect their MP to listen, and to inform his or her view when coming to vote on the issue at hand. That is an absolute fundamental cornerstone of the democratic process – anyone exercising any democratic mandate must do so on the basis of information.

But we also get approached – lobbied – by professional organisations that are in business to put forward the views of organisations.

In many cases, the organisations do their own lobbying: charities, banks, trade bodies – a near limitless range. But some organisations are companies that charge a fee for their services and may try to use undue pressure to get a ‘better hearing’ from politicians.

What the latest scandal surrounds is that an MP and several peers have accepted cash in return for offering to exert greater pressure on behalf of the organisation that approached them, but without declaring that financial component.

Of course, MPs do get entertained by organisations on a pretty frequent basis. There are breakfasts, lunches and dinners going on the whole time, paid for by all sorts of organisations keen to get their point across to groups of MPs.

But if the value of that entertainment exceeds a certain amount (£650) it must be declared in the register of members’ financial interests – a public document available at the parliament website. In that way local newspapers or individuals can raise this and question the MP over their actions. Quite rightly.

What is being proposed is a register, to supplement the existing rules, of professional lobby groups. This will let us all know who is doing the lobbying professionally, and who is doing it as a result of their organisations.

There are grey areas. Many residents will be familiar with the lobbying website 38 Degrees. This was created and is funded by declared Labour Party donors and the organisation determines the agenda of what is lobbied.

But they get local residents to lobby their MP directly. So what status is this? It has a political agenda, but it is using the views of individuals and their personal resources to carry out its work.

This debate will almost certainly run and run. I already put a link on my website to my expenses page, but I will also add a link to the register of members’ interests as well. After all, transparency has to be key to all this.

CONTACT YOUR MP

  • Email: mark.garnier.mp@ parliament.uk
  • Telephone: 020 7219 7198 or 01562 746771.
  • Write: 9a Lower Mill Street, Kidderminster, DY11 6UU, or House of Commons, Westminster, London.