Two more corrupt ‘new’ Labour ex-ministers

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This video from Britain is called New Labour MP’s scandal, cash to change UK laws (21Mar10).

From British daily The Morning Star:

Two more ex-ministers in cash for connections

Sunday 28 March 2010

by Adrian Roberts

Two more former Labour ministers were secretly filmed apparently offering to use their government connections and expertise for cash, it was reported on Sunday.

Former armed forces minister Adam Ingram and former sports minister Richard Caborn were interviewed by an undercover reporter posing as a company executive wanting to hire MPs for lobbying work.

According to The Sunday Times, which carried out a joint investigation with Channel 4’s Dispatches, the MPs were recorded offering their services to help commercial clients for fees of up to £2,500 a day.

…

The latest “sting” follows the suspension from the Parliamentary Labour Party of three former Cabinet ministers over allegations they were prepared to take cash to influence government policy.

Geoff Hoon, Stephen Byers and Patricia Hewitt were filmed by Dispatches discussing the possibility of working for what they thought was a US lobby firm.

Labour backbencher Margaret Moran, who also featured in the programme, was also suspended.

Mr Caborn, who is standing down as the MP for Sheffield Central, was said to have expressed an interest in working for the fictitious company but said he would not decide until after the election.

He was recorded discussing a number of services he could offer, quoting a rate of £2,500 “plus expenses.”

Adam Ingram, like Geoff Hoon, was at the Department of “Defence”; more specifically, Tony Blair’s bloody wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Militarism is not just the source of millions of death civilians, massive pollution, etc. etc., but also of corruption.

Three Labour MPs accused of fiddling their expenses will argue they should be dealt with by Parliament instead of the courts, their lawyers have said: here.

Former Labour MPs and Tory peer lose appeal over expenses charges: here.

Patricia Hewitt update: here.

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