The Conduct of Lord Moonie, Lord Snape, Lord Truscott and Lord Taylor of Blackburn: Report

Book excerpt: This is the 2nd report of the Committee for Privileges of the 2008-09 session (HLP 88-I, session 2008-09, ISBN 9780108444227) and looks at the conduct of Lord Moonie, Lord Snape, Lord Truscott and Lord Taylor of Blackburn. The background to this report, was a set of allegations by the The Sunday Times on 25 January 2009, stating that the peers had been willing to engage in paid advocacy. The Sub-Committee on Lords' Interests has reported on the conduct of the peers reaching the conclusion that three of the four members (Lord Snape, Truscott and Taylor) had breached the Code of Conduct. The main Committee in this report has examined the Sub-Committee's findings for each of the peers, along with three appeals from Lords Snape, Truscott and Taylor and a personal statement by one of the peers to the Committee. The Committee followed procedures as laid out by an earlier report (HLP 205, session 2007-08 - The Code of Conduct, ISBN 9780104014042). The Committee sets out a summary of conclusions in this report, focusing on the key points of the issue between the Sub-Committee and the three members who submitted appeals. The conclusions reached by the Committee, include: an endorsement of the Sub-Committee's exoneration of Lord Moonie of any breach of the Code of Conduct, but that he did make a number of unwise comments in respect of the Code of Conduct and should make a personal statement of apology to the House; the Committee upholds the appeal of Lord Snape against the Sub-Committee's findings and that he did not express clear willingness to exercise parliamentary influence in return for financial inducements, but he also demonstrated an inappropriate attitude to the rules governing the conduct of members and should apologise to the House; the Committee upholds the Sub-Committee's findings in respect of both Lord Truscott and Lord Taylor of Blackburn, whose conversations with undercover journalists, showed a failure to act on their personal honour and therefore breached the Code and that both peers should be suspended from the service of the House until the end of the current session. Volume 2, Evidence is also available see (ISBN 9780104425176).