Honours dis-honoured
For 60 years there has been an understanding and tolerance of soft corruption among all major political parties in Britain. Big donors greatly enhanced their chances of getting honours. That was the way it worked. It was a nod and a wink.
Labour reformed the system with a committee to oversee honours. It worked. the committee rightly question some appointments to the Lords. A SNP MP complained and the cash for honours probe was opened. Labour appeared to have been caught holding the parcel when the music stopped.
The select committee on which I sit was already investigating the honours system.
Yates of the Yard in a series of private meetings with us asked us to suspend our investigations. Witnesses could have incriminated themselves in evidence to us without a caution and escape subsequent retribution. We reluctantly agreed. This is a possible parliamentary mess and it's up to parliamentarians to clean it up.
Now we must re-open our inquiry. It will be fair, impartial and free from the self-serving leaks that inflated Yates' probe into a major scandal that devalued the work of politicians who were generally doing what they thought was the honourable accepted thing. Our democracy remains, apart from Scandinavia, the cleanest in the world. No-one should be able to pay for a role in public office and certainly not in the legislature.
With some enthusiasm, the committee will reopen our 'paused' inquiry. If we do not restore confidence, the honours system will become so discredited that it may be more prestigious to refuse an honour and use the title Has Refused Honour or H.R.H.
Jumping the gun John
In the Dods Online profile John Prescott says that he is Leader of the UK Delegation Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
The election for that job will be held on Monday. Christine McCafferty MP for Calder Valley is standing. An EDM has been put down praising her nine years of service to the Council of Europe, applauds her
contribution to the work of the Social Health and Family Affairs Committee, often acting as rapporteur on key human rights issues; recognises her pioneering work on the Equal Opportunities Committee and on the Sub Committee on Children and Sub Committee on Violence Against Women; pays tribute to her abilities in her role as Chair of the Labour Group; and wishes her well in the forthcoming election for Leader of the Labour Group on the UK Delegation to the Council of Europe.
The chickens have not hatched yet, John.
Labour Ready
It was great day to open something named "Labour Ready". It's an instant supplier of Labour on a daily basis and their Newport branch was launched today. Their amiable manager Scott Hall told me about their high standards of safety and their social conscience.
Fellow MPs Helen Jones and Brian Iddon told me that they are good guys. The large influx of Eastern Europeans and the many construction projects should make life busy for the Newport branch.
Although their sign is in blue, to-days spectacularly good bye-election results spell the same message. there was a time in the Major and Thatchers years when it was said that it was impossible for a Government to win a by-election. Labour and LibDems won them all for several years.
The Cameronian droop to third place is mildly catastrophic. Another 'impossibility' is now possible. I'm keeping the diary free for a busy October General Election.
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