Two former foreign secretaries in cash for access scandal
 

http://http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31580374

Straw and Rifkind deny 'cash for access' wrongdoing
Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Jack Straw

TWO FORMER FOREIGN SECRETARIES IN CASH FOR ACCESS SCANDAL

Jack Straw and Sir Malcolm Rifkind are the subject of the allegations, arising from a joint investigation by the Daily Telegraph and Channel 4's Dispatches.

The documentary makers said reporters posed as staff of a fake Chinese firm.

The MPs have referred themselves to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. Both deny any wrongdoing.

It is claimed that Mr Straw was recorded describing how he operated "under the radar" and had used his influence to change EU rules on behalf of a firm which paid him £60,000 a year.

On the subject of payment, Mr Straw is heard saying: "So normally, if I'm doing a speech or something, it's £5,000 a day, that's what I charge."

Sir Malcolm is reported to have claimed he could arrange "useful access" to every British ambassador in the world.

The Conservative MP for Kensington and chairman of Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee was recorded saying: "I am self-employed - so nobody pays me a salary. I have to earn my income."

He said his usual fee for half a day's work was "somewhere in the region of £5,000 to £8,000".

MORE SLEAZY PIGS WITH SNOUTS IN TROUGHS. LEFT WING RIGHT WING WHAT THE FECK IS THE DIFFERENCE?

I actually don't like these 'traps' by journalists and investigators.

It also seems, as it unfurls more that under current rules neither have really done anything wrong.
Even though is sounds dodgy and seems both unsavoury and unnecessary.

I wll wait for the standard committee before I condemn on this one.
I agree with Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg that the issue of 2nd jobs has to be looked at and even maybe curbed.
If some people going into Parliament cannot accept that then simply don't stand for election.

I am sorry because these are 2 MPs I have a liking for,they have both held high office and it elaves me more and more wondering how MPs now don't smell a rat as to these entrapments by journalists.

All MPs, regardless of status in their parties, need to be on the lookout for this happening because even if in the end you have done nothing wrong, and it will take months before we learn if there is any wrongdoing at all as to what these 2 have been involved in here, the mud smeared by the entrapment sticks long after after any clearance of wrongdoing.

MPs have become a shady bunch in the eyes of the elctorate but for me, journalists and programme makers are even lower in their means at times.

Would I trust an MP or a journalist, I would trust the MP everytime over them,for me journalism by the actions of so called professional journalists just about has soiled the whole profession.

i would give my view on these questions - but i would like a payment for my view ? if you pay me £10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 i even promise not to make my reply rhyme.

simple greed

smh

But they must sort this mess out joey
trap or no trap
private talk or not

There is a Clear Line
did those 2 old fellas
cross it

I would buy you a Jnr Whopper
if I had time to meet you

I will have to watch the Daily Politics
which I record
and if it is

Then each party must tell us so.

Hi Arista, please 'take up the baton' and keep us informed with developments on this story - you do it so much better than me - I don't even really know how to post links correctly. :wavey:

You said it brother. I could not agree more.

:joker: You slay me Hog.

Possibly but the things that need changing is what MPs are allowed to be doing under the rules.

We won't know if they have really crossed the line for months so I won't judge them as to that, just as I wouldn't want to be judged before some official investigation.
Personally, I cannot see Jack Straw or Sir Malcolm Rifkind intentionally doing wrong,so until officialdom says they have and not just journalists on a trapping misson, I will wait for that proper judgement.

Labours Straw MP has done the right thing
he has suspended himself

Joey after BBC2HD Daily Politics
and at 7PM Ch4HD News
I will know tonight

Well said Joey, I agree with your post.
I hardly think MPs need to look for a second income, leave all that shenanigans until they retire from parliament.
Absolutely no time for the media circus either.

I agree Jack Straw has done the correct thing at this time, maybe it will be shown in the future that he didn't need to.
I will wait for the standards committee to report on this one still.

They actually haven't done anything wrong or broken any of the rules, so here we go with another trial by media.

An MP's basic salary is roughly the same as that as a deputy head teacher. They do claim expenses, but so would you if your constituency was miles away from London and you were required to live in London half the week for late night sitting, three line whips etc. If we want good, dedicated people from a wide range of backgrounds to stand as MPs then we need to pay them a basic salary that reflects the responsibility they shoulder on our behalf. Otherwise, we're always going to have MPs doing other jobs or living off their trust funds.

With a decent degree people can earn much, much more in the private sector than MPs get and I know I wouldn't want to do their job for their salary. If we want quality people representing us in Parliament, pay them a good salary and stop them doing external work of any kind.

Well they've removed the whip... seems they're taking it more seriously.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/...tics-live-blog

With it being so close to an election,I think all parties will be more jittery whenever this kind of thing turns up.
MPs of all parties need to be really on their guard against reporters playing false and setting out to trap them.

Whether it is something simple like not knowing someones name or a particular area of some policy,or like these incidents where they set up false websites and pretend to be people they are not to try to ensnare MPs for any little thing.

I will never be convinced these reporters do this in the national interest or that they even care about the public/taxpayers really.
It is just to create scandal and gossip to put in their papers.

There are many MPs I dislike for lots of reasons but I really hate this kind of entrapment based on so much being false anyway from the people behind it too.

Jack Straw and Malcom Rifkind, love or hate them, have given decades of service to Parliament, they now have this all over the front pages.
When we do learn from the standards committee on this and if we learn from them that they did nothing wrong too, we will need a magnifying glass to find where the press list that they were wrong about them in those same papers,that is if we can even find the page it would be on..

MPs beware, 'never' trust reporters,it is an occupational hazard that they have to talk to them and be interviewed by them but they need to treat every question as suspicious from them and always be fully on their guard with this awful media we have in the UK at present.

Joey I also watched Dispatches
Yes they were set up.

But I am getting sick of Ed Miliband moaning
that he will not allow MP's to be Consultants
So what The Feck is HIS Jack Straw doing?


Both those MP's go in in May
but as this tricking was done before then
They are fecking GUILTY

Yes I get you there
but 5K a day is fecking big money
so they will be in all Papers tomorrow
I post the lot later tonight
for Kirk to see the Mega Damage
for Labours Staw MP
and Conservatives Rifkind MP
who both should have known better.


After May
sure

Now No way

Jack Straw has it seems, been doing what is acceptable under parliamentary rules.
No one can say they are guilty of anything yet and I have afeeling the standards committee will exonerate them from wrongdoing.
I am certainly not going to just rush to believe jumped up reporters who have acted so falsely and deviously in these incidents.

I understand that Ed Miliband has said if there were to be a Labour govt; he would expect his MPs not to have other things going on outside of politics.
Nothing wrong with him saying that at all in my view.

However, it is for the parliamentary rules to change as to whether anyone is doing wrong.
Ed Miliband can guide as to what he thinks is appropriate as to behaviour but parliament sets the rules for all MPs.

That is what he would need to seek to change and if he believes that to be the right way to go, then he has the right to say so and try to gather support for it too.

it annoys me so much when people from any party do this, it really turns people away from politics.

http://media.skynews.com/media/image...-1-720x960.jpg

http://media.skynews.com/media/image...-1-720x960.jpg

http://media.skynews.com/media/image...-1-720x960.jpg

That's not true.
'The average head or deputy head in English state schools is now paid £55,500'

With all the expenses and kickbacks I'd say they got 3-4 times that.
Of course they could work in the private sector and earn more, so can teachers... the fact is MPs don't.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education...cket-100k.html

There are 2 different issues here. Rifkind was selling his contact database, he was not taking money to directly influence decision making. Straw on the other hand openly admitted to influencing decision making for money - that is no different to the brown paper bag and cash for questions. Its corrupt.

Well I am confused with this story, are they guilty of a crime ? No then why are they being plastered all over the front pages, and why have they reported themselves for this non crime?

So is it a crime or not , strange state of affairs perhaps what they are doing is not legally wrong but morally wrong.

This needs to be made clear exactly where the line is and what is permissable and what is crossing the line.