Express & Star

Shock cash for access revelations spark reform calls from Black Country MP

MPs should be banned from working for companies if they sit on a specialist national security and intelligence committee, a Black Country MP has said.

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West Bromwich East MP Tom Watson made the comments after former Foreign Secretaries Jack Straw and Sir Malcolm Rifkind were filmed by reporters offering their services for thousands of pounds. The Labour MP said the revelations raised questions about the interests of MPs who sit on the Intelligence and Security Committee chaired by Conservative Sir Malcolm.

He said: "I think there is serious need for reform.

"Can you imagine Chinese members of their equivalent intelligence and security committee talking to or advising private British companies?" He also said it was right Labour's Jack Straw, who is stepping down at the General Election, was suspended while an investigation takes place.

Both parties have suspended the members who reported themselves to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority after a joint investigation by the Daily Telegraph and Channel 4's Dispatches. Prime Minister David Cameron said:

"These are serious issues, they need to be properly looked into."

Dubbed as a new 'cash for access' scandal, the pair were secretly filmed discussing how they could use their contacts to benefit a private company and boasted about charging at least £5,000-a-day.

Both Sir Malcolm and Mr Straw deny any wrongdoing.

Sir Malcolm is said to have bragged that he could see any foreign ambassador in London and has 'useful access' to every British ambassador in the world.

He claimed he acted 'entirely properly' and said it was 'quite unrealistic' to expect backbench MPs with professional backgrounds to 'simply accept a salary of £60,000' without accepting second jobs, and would fight claims of wrongdoing 'with all my strength'.

Mr Straw said: I am mortified that I fell into this trap, despite my best efforts to avoid this, and my previous public criticism of colleagues of all parties who have done so in the past. Of course I am kicking myself. However, I am clear that there was nothing that I said in the meetings which was improper. I am proud of my record as Member for Blackburn and a Parliamentarian over 36 years."

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