Westminster Accounts: SNP demands ‘root-and-branch’ reform of MPs’ outside earnings following project

Published

2 years ago

January 11, 2023

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The “scandal” of MPs’ earnings from second jobs and donations exposed by Sky News’ Westminster Accounts project “needs to end” through “root-and-branch” reform, the SNP has said.

The party’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn told Sky News’ deputy political editor Sam Coates that the findings of the investigation should “ring alarm bells for everyone” and demonstrate that a “complete overhaul” of the rules is required.

Describing the situation as “not acceptable”, Mr Flynn said “everything needs to be on the table” when it comes to reform, adding: “We need to have transparency in public life.”

On Sunday, Sky News and Tortoise Media launched a new database of MPs’ outside earnings – the first time they have all been collated in one place.

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According to Sky News’ analysis of the MPs’ register of financial interests, 38 MPs have taken on second jobs where the ultimate party paying them is unclear.

While 14 MPs have been given more than £250,000 each towards their campaigns and causes.

The investigation also discovered that nobody had heard of a company donating hundreds of thousands to Labour MPs on a visit to its registered address.

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Mr Flynn told Sky News that the project has highlighted that “the Westminster system is broken and corrupt”, with MPs earning millions outside of their parliamentary day jobs.

After asking Rishi Sunak a question on former prime minister Boris Johnson’s outside earnings at PMQs earlier today, Mr Flynn has now written to the current PM calling for him to introduce robust legislation to tighten the rules.

The SNP’s Westminster leader’s demands include:

• a ban on “dark money donations”
• a block on MPs from taking second jobs that involve “a considerable time commitment or conflict of interest”
• tightened restrictions and full transparency on outside earnings

‘This is the expenses scandal all over again’

Mr Flynn told Sky News that the revelations uncovered by the Westminster Accounts project will be “of huge concern to the public”.

“We are all public servants, we serve the public – and if the public don’t know why we are doing what we are doing or who is funding us that is deeply concerning,” the SNP’s Westminster leader said.

He continued: “But if we are going to have transparency in British politics, we need to get to the bottom of this and ultimately Westminster needs reform.”

Mr Flynn added: “And we should also broaden that discussion out to whether MPs should be spending as much time as they are on second jobs when, in reality, they are members of parliament there to legislate.

“It is pretty clear cut to me that we should be putting out duties in parliament first.”

Mr Flynn said he was “sceptical” that change will happen, describing Mr Sunak as being “ambivalent” to the idea earlier on Wednesday.

In a statement, the SNP’s Westminster leader added: “This is the MP expenses scandal all over again.”

Opposition parties attempt pincer movement to pressure Sunak into rule change

Sam Coates

Deputy political editor

@SamCoatesSky

The intervention from Stephen Flynn, leader of the third biggest party in parliament, suggests there is something of a pincer movement going on.

One by one, opposition party leaders are embracing – to an increasing degree – the idea that there needs to be some kind of change as a result of the Westminster Accounts that have been published by Sky News and Tortoise Media.

But what is interesting is that the person most bullish in their demand for change is actually a Conservative – Lord Pickles. He matters because he is a former cabinet minister who was in office in the aftermath of the expenses scandal and now heads a government ethics watchdog.

His powerful case for change, delivered in an interview with Sky News on Tuesday, has really kicked off this debate. It is notable that it has been opposition MPs, perhaps most robustly led by the new SNP leader today, adopting the charge as well.

But it is worth looking closely at what the Tories are doing because, ultimately, there are more of them than any other party in the Commons. That means if there is going to be change they need to be on board.

Rishi Sunak likes to talk about the importance of transparency, and that is the government line right now. But beneath the surface, he knows that change is hard. He cannot risk another battle with his own party on top of the many that have fractured the Conservatives in the course of this bruising parliament.

Boris Johnson tried to take on his backbenchers on the subject of second jobs but abandoned serious reform early in 2022. Another fight over changes to the rules and a greater drive to transparency at this point looks unlikely.

So while government ministers come on Sky News and commend the principle of transparency, as yet no government minister will actually engage with any detail on the question of reform.

That is why the issue is stuck. It does not mean there is no way out in this parliament – pressure will build the more problems people find in the way that money works in politics. But it could well be that serious change can only come after the next general election.

Senior politicians react to Sky News’ Westminster Accounts project

Earlier this week, the prime minister said there was a reason that “rules and regulations” are in place surrounding donations to MPs after the Westminster Accounts project launched.

Mr Sunak said: “I think transparency is really important for the healthy functioning of democracy, it’s absolutely right that there’s disclosures around donations and outside interests. And transparency is a good thing, and I fully support it.”

However, he did not answer when asked whether it was right that some MPs are being given six-figure donations.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt told Sky News that the information will help people make more informed decisions at the ballot box.

“People should know what income their MPs are receiving, what funding they have for their political campaigns. I think it’s really helpful that you have put that information together so people can make a judgement at the ballot box as to whether MPs are behaving the way they want,” he said.

Asked about the prospect of reforms, he insisted the UK has one of the most transparent systems “in the world”.

‘It wouldn’t take much to just sort this out’

But the chair of parliament’s ethics watchdog said the Westminster Accounts project has shown that MPs should be forced to exercise more “due diligence” over donations.

Praising the investigation, Lord Pickles told Sky News that MPs should have to know and declare a named individual as the originator of a donation, even if the funds come from a company.

“It wouldn’t take very much to just to sort this out,” said Lord Pickles, who is the chair of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments.

He added that it “wouldn’t be unreasonable to put together some guidelines for MPs to be able to answer some just very basic questions”.

While Labour’s Chris Bryant posted on social media: “I welcome Sky News and Tortoise’s work making information that is already in the public domain more readily accessible.”

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Earlier today, Sky News’ Westminster Accounts project revealed all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs) have received over £20m worth of funding from external organisations since the 2019 general election, with registered lobbying agencies dominating the ranks of biggest benefactors.

APPGs are informal interest groups of MPs and peers that facilitate cross-party work on an issue, a country or a sector, but the chair of one of Westminster’s ethics watchdogs has told Sky News they could represent “the next big scandal”.

UK

Mpox: More cases of new Clade 1b strain detected in UK

Published

7 hours ago

November 4, 2024

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Mpox: More cases of new Clade 1b strain detected in UK

More cases of a new strain of mpox have been detected in the UK, officials say.

Last week, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said a single case of the mpox virus variant Clade 1b had been confirmed in London.

The agency has now announced a further two cases have been detected.

The two patients are household contacts of the first and are currently under specialist care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London, it added.

“The risk to the UK population remains low,” the UKHSA said.

“There has been extensive planning under way to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to any further confirmed cases.”

The UKHSA’s chief medical adviser, Professor Susan Hopkins, said: “Mpox is very infectious in households with close contact and so it is not unexpected to see further cases within the same household.

“The overall risk to the UK population remains low. We are working with partners to make sure all contacts of the cases are identified and contacted to reduce the risk of further spread.”

The first case detected in London last week was a person who had been on holiday in Africa.

They developed flu-like symptoms more than 24 hours after returning to the UK and later developed a rash which worsened in the following days.

The agency said contacts of all three cases are being followed up on and would be offered testing and vaccination as needed.

What are the symptoms of mpox and how is it passed on?

Common symptoms of the disease include a skin rash or pus-filled lesions, which can last between two to four weeks. It can also cause fever, headaches, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes.

Mpox, and the Clade 1b strain, is usually passed on by close physical contact, contact with infected animals, or sexual transmission.

The UK has a stock of mpox vaccines and last month announced more were being procured to support a routine immunisation programme.

UK

Valencia floods: British couple Don and Terry Turner found dead in their car after going missing

Published

10 hours ago

November 4, 2024

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Valencia floods: British couple Don and Terry Turner found dead in their car after going missing

A British couple have been found dead in Spain after being caught in the floods last week, their daughters have said.

At least 217 people have died after heavy rain in eastern Spain caused flash floods, with thousands of cars left wrecked in the streets and an unknown number still missing.

Ruth O’Loughlin and Renee Turner told Sky News their parents Don, 78, and 74-year-old Terry Turner, from Pedralba, about 20 miles (33km) west of central Valencia, went missing during the floods – only for their bodies to be found in their car days later.

An FCDO spokesperson said it is “supporting the family” and is “in contact with the local authorities”.

It comes as a red alert warning of “extreme danger” from torrential rain has been issued for Barcelona today, with 180mm of rain set to fall in 12 hours according to the national weather agency Aemet.

Speaking to Sky News, Ms O’Loughlin said she last spoke to her mother on Monday last week, and a day later saw her messages to Mr Turner were not delivering on WhatsApp.

After seeing reports of the floods, she tried to contact her father and again received no response, before her nephew rang on Thursday to say her parents were reported as missing.

Despite social media campaigning and calls to the British Consulate, Renee Turner said it was Saturday when they found out Mr and Mrs Turner had died.

“My sister and I both got a phone call to say that they’d been found in their car, and unfortunately they had died,” she said.

Ms O’Loughlin added: “We’d got told they’d nipped out for gas, as they do.

“Obviously, they weren’t aware of how bad the area was, and their friend said they were aware [the couple went out] as they used to talk all the time.

“And then they didn’t come home.”

Renee Turner insisted both Mr and Mrs Turner would have “without a doubt” heeded flood warnings, but told Sky News “there was no alert”.

“My parents would not have been out,” she added. “We are so angry at the slackness of the Spanish authorities in that respect.

“Not just our mum and dad [have died], there’s hundreds of people, hundreds, and they have to be held accountable for that.”

In their hometown of Burntwood, Staffordshire, Ms O’Loughlin said “everybody knows my mum and dad”. As kids, she recalled how people would come over when Ruth was baking.

She added that Mr Turner “was the clown – everyone loved Dad… he made our childhood absolutely wonderful,” before saying that when they moved to Spain, “everyone knew them there”.

Terry volunteered at a local dog rescue centre and adopted two kittens, Ms O’Loughlin said, which are currently being looked after by the couple’s friends in the area.

“We sort of knew [they were dead] because we knew that our mum would have done anything to get back to those pets,” Ms O’Loughlin added.

Both Renee Turner and Ms O’Loughlin had wanted to move their parents back to England, and the couple had been expected to return home permanently soon.

“We had plans,” Ms O’Loughlin said. “Mum was desperate to come back. She’s a shopper, she missed Morrisons.

“We were looking at maybe getting a bigger house and moving mum and dad in with us. We could keep our eye on them, we could make sure they were okay.

“The thought of that: My mum said to me that ‘that’s more than I could ever wish for’.”

Foreign Secretary David Lammy expressed the UK’s condolences on X, saying: “The UK government expresses its heartfelt condolences to those affected by the tragic floods across Spain – our thoughts are with those that have lost their lives, their families and all those affected. I have offered the UK’s full support to my friend @jmalbares.”

Meanwhile, the local government in Catalonia warned of “continuous and torrential” rain in two regions today, saying people should avoid travel and stay away from streams and ravines.

Authorities told those nearby the “extreme danger” warning issued for the Barcelona region: “Do not travel unless strictly necessary.”

Authorities have also suspended train services in northeast Catalonia on request from civil protection officials.

UK

University tuition fees to increase in England for first time in eight years

Published

10 hours ago

November 4, 2024

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University tuition fees to increase in England for first time in eight years

University tuition fees in England will increase for the first time in eight years, the education secretary has announced.

Fees have been frozen at an annual level of £9,250 since the 2017/18 academic year.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the maximum cap will now rise in line with inflation from April 2025.

That will increase the cost of tuition to £9,535 next year – a rise of £285.

Politics latest: Badenoch announcing shadow cabinet

Ms Phillipson also announced a rise in maximum maintenance loans so they will now increase in line with inflation, giving an increase of £414 a year to help students with living costs.

The education secretary tried to ward off any panic from students as she said: “I want to reassure students already at university when you start repaying your loan, you will not see higher monthly repayments as a result of these changes to fee and maintenance loans.

“That’s because student loans are not like consumer loans, monthly repayments depend on earnings, not simply the amount borrowed or interest rates – and the end of any long term, any outstanding loan balance, including interest built up, will be written off.”

She said the decision had not been easy but added: “It is no use keeping tuition fees down for future students if the universities are not there for them to attend, nor if students can’t afford to support themselves while they study.”

Sir Keir Starmer had pledged to abolish tuition fees when he stood to be Labour leader in 2020.

However, the prime minister rowed back on that promise early last year, saying it was no longer affordable because of the “different financial situation” the country was in, and he was choosing to prioritise the NHS.

He said Labour would set out a “fairer solution” for students if they won the election – which they did with a landslide in July.

The change comes as universities have been dealing with a funding crisis, largely driven by a huge drop in overseas students.

Rules brought in by Rishi Sunak’s government made it harder for international students, who pay higher fees than British ones, to bring their families with them to the UK.

Universities have been pleading for more investment, but Ms Phillipson said recently institutes should seek to manage their own budgets before hoping for a bailout from the taxpayer.

When she was in opposition, she also touted the idea of reducing the monthly repayments “for every single graduate” by changing how the loan is paid back.

Writing in The Times in June 2023, she said: “Reworking the present system gives scope for a month-on-month tax cut for graduates, putting money back in people’s pockets when they most need it.”

However, the idea did not make it into Labour’s 2024 manifesto, which only says that “the current higher education funding settlement does not work for the taxpayer, universities, staff, or students”.

It adds: “Labour will act to create a secure future for higher education and the opportunities it creates across the UK.”

Independent MP Zarah Sultana, who lost the Labour whip after rebelling over the two-child benefit cap, called the latest development “wrong”.

“It’s time to abolish tuition fees and cancel student debt because education is a public good, not a commodity,” she posted on X.

‘Maintenance loans bigger issue’

Money saving expert Martin Lewis earlier explained how higher fees will not necessarily lead to students facing higher yearly repayments, as that “solely depends on what you earn not on what you borrow”.

In a thread on X, he said a more damaging policy was the Tories’ decision last year to drop the salary threshold at which repayments must be made – from £27,000 to £25,000 – and increase the time to clear the loan before it is written off, from 30 to 40 years.

He said: “Increasing tuition fees will only see those who clear the loan in full over the 40yrs pay more. That is generally mid-high to higher earning university leavers only, so the cost of increasing them will generally be born by the more affluent.”

University fees of £1,000 per year were first introduced by the Labour government in 1998, going up to £3,000 in 2006.

The coalition government then tripled the amount to £9,000 in 2012, sparking a huge backlash, particularly against the Lib Dems who had vowed to scrap fees in the 2010 general election campaign.

Since then, there have been further changes to student finance such as the abolition of maintenance grants and NHS bursaries, moving student support increasingly away from non-repayable grants and towards loans.