British Tory Rifkind, Blairite Straw suspended for corruption

This video from Britain says about itself:

Politicians for Hire: Malcolm Rifkind and Jack Straw in ‘cash for access‘ corruption scandal

22 February 2015

Politicians For Hire: Credit: Channel 4 Dispatches and The Telegraph.

Two of Parliament’s most respected members were secretly filmed discussing how they would be prepared to use their contacts to benefit a private company and charge large sums of money, reveals a joint investigation by Channel 4 Dispatches and The Telegraph.

Sir Malcolm Rifkind is the chair of the British parliament’s intelligence and security committee. And a former Conservative defence and foreign secretary.

From daily The Guardian in Britain:

Tories remove party whip from Sir Malcolm Rifkind: Politics Live blog

Rolling coverage of all the day’s political developments as they happen, including Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Jack Straw responding to ‘cash for access’ allegations and David Cameron’s speech on protecting pensioner benefits

• Sir Malcolm Rifkind’s Today interview – Summary
• Jack Straw’s Today interview – Summary

7m ago 12:18

Q: Are you going to suspend Sir Malcolm Rifkind from the party? And will he have to stand aside as ISC chair? And will you match Ed Miliband’s plan for a curb on how much MPs can earn from second jobs?

Cameron says these are very serious matters.

MPs are not allowed to be paid to lobby.

It is right that Jack Straw and Sir Malcolm Rifkind have referred themselves to the parliamentary commissioner for standards. And it is right that they have both had the party whip suspended.

Rifkind is a candidate at the next election. And that is why the Conservative party will be looking into this quickly, he says.

He says the government has legislated to change the rules on lobbying.

Cameron says the ISC, under new rules, is a committee of parliament. Its chair is elected by its members. And so this is not a matter for him, he says. …

• Cameron confirms that Sir Malcolm Rifkind has been suspended from the Conservative party – but suggests the party will decide his fate quickly so that, if cleared, he can stand again at the election.

• Cameron says it is up to the ISC to decide whether Rifkind remains as its chair.

‘Cash for access’: the main allegations. Jack Straw and Sir Malcolm Rifkind are accused of breaching the parliamentary code of conduct amid claims they offered to help a fictitious Chinese firm: here.

MP Malcolm Rifkind clings on to chairmanship of intelligence committee: here.

Related articles

• HSBC files: Ed Miliband speaks of revolving door between Tories and HSBC
• Cameron cold-shoulders calls to limit commercial corruption of MPs