MPs are not doing enough to ‘clean up their act’ and could face damaging expenses-style scandal, watchdog warns
A report says MPs are 'inadequately prepared for future controversy', and this could cause another 'public confidence-sapping scandal'
ANOTHER damaging expenses-style scandal could blight Parliament as MPs are not doing enough to clean up their act, a powerful Commons sleaze watchdog warned last night.
A Standards Committee report warns MPs have “a low appetite for change” so are “inadequately prepared for future controversy”.
And that could lead to another “public confidence sapping scandal” in the future, according to the powerful watchdog.
In a damning assessment, three outgoing experts drafted in to improve bad behaviour in Westminster said MPs must “learn from good practice in ethical and conduct regulation and practice elsewhere”.
And they warned that there needs to be “consistency between how standards issues for MPs are dealt with and how similar matters are
administered in wider society.”
Sharon Darcy, Peter Jinman and Walter Rader were appointed “Lay members” of Committee on Standards in 2012.
In a 16-page reflection on how Westminster deals with sleaze and scandal, they concluded that more should be done to “strengthen the
current standards system.”
They identify four key issues that leave Parliament vulnerable to sleaze including “corporate memory” problems triggered by “fragmented responsibility for standards issues”.
And they claim sleaze busting has been put on the backburner timewise as well as a “lack of willingness to get involved in standards issues together with a low appetite for change.”
The trio recommend “clear and meaningful penalties” to try solve the problem.
And they have reported their concerns to Commons Speaker John Bercow ahead of their departure.
Standards Committee boss Labour’s Sir Kevin Barron last night thanked the trio for “the wisdom and fresh ideas they have brought.”
And he vowed to explore “their analysis and recommendations.”
And they recommend tough new sanctions that included making a failure to declare shareholdings or out-riding earnings a criminal matter.
The experts also warned that many MPs do not want to help tackle sleaze it could jeopardise their career advancement and upset colleagues.