House of Lords for sale Met Police urged to probe bombshell claims
Scotland Yard has been urged to open an investigation into an alleged Tory âcash for honoursâ scheme after it was revealed that more than a dozen party backers were given peerages following million-pound donations.
According to a joint investigation by the Sunday Times and Open Democracy, the Conservative Party has been abusing the honours system by offering seats in the UKâs House of Lords to a select group of major boosters.
âOnce you pay your £3million, you get your peerage,â one former Tory chairman allegedly said, according to the Times.
âThe Metropolitan Police should launch a fresh cash for honours investigation to determine whether a criminal offence has been committed,â Scottish National Party (SNP) MP Peter Wishart said in response to the allegations. Wishart said the Tory corruption scandal was âgrowing worse by the day.â
It's a criminal offence to buy or offer to buy an honour for money. And it's a criminal offence to sell or offer to sell an honour for money.Why is Boris Johnson above the law? pic.twitter.com/u9zlu43gru
â" Jo Maugham (@JolyonMaugham) November 7, 2021Over the last two decades, all but one of the Tory partyâs main treasurers have been offered a peerage. That list includes businessman Peter Cruddas, whose peerage sparked controversy last year after Prime Minister Boris Johnson overruled a House of Lords commissionâs recommendation not to elevate him to a peerage.
Since the Conservatives came to power in 2010, 22 of the partyâs biggest donors have been made lords after donating a total of £54 million. Despite a former Tory treasurer admitting there was a âtradition of ennobling party treasurers,â the party denied that the nominations were tied to donations.
Cabinet minister George Eustice told the BBC that the nominees, being âsuccessfulâ in business, brought âvaluableâ expertise to their seats.
MPs who have been suspended from Parliament shouldnât be rewarded with a peerage.Iâve written to the body that vets House of Lords nominations about Boris Johnsonâs attempts to create one rule for him and his mates, another for everyone else. pic.twitter.com/L9i9kVSpAv
â" Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) November 7, 2021Opposition parties are piling on the pressure, however, at a time when the government is still dealing with the fallout of the Owen Paterson lobbying scandal. Last week, the former MP resigned after he was deemed to have used his position as MP to lobby for companies where he worked as an adviser.
Deputy Labour Party leader Angela Rayner said the latest âcash for peerageâ allegations showed the Conservative Party is âcorrupt, dodgy, sleazy and on the take.â
Although it is a crime to buy or sell an honour, no charges were brought in previous allegations about peers who had made large loans to Labour despite several arrests.
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