A British Conservative MP has become the latest politician to be drawn into a lobbying scandal, after he was recorded claiming to have coached a paying client on how to influence his own parliamentary committee.\n<\/p>\n
An investigation by undercover reporters for the Sunday Times alleges that Tim Yeo, who heads the Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee, had privately advised the director of GB Rail Freight on what evidence to submit to his committee.\n<\/p>\n
The reporters approached the MP posing as representatives of a solar energy company asking if he would be interested in a \u00a37,000-a-day consultancy contract.\n<\/p>\n
“If you want to meet the right people, I can facilitate all those introductions and I can use the knowledge I get from what is quite an active network of connections,\u201d Yeo told the reporters.\n<\/p>\n
The former environment minister, however, denies breaking lobbying rules and has reportedly referred himself to the Parliamentary Standards Committee.\n<\/p>\n
According to Britain\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s parliamentary rules, lawmakers are not allowed to undertake “paid advocacy” on behalf of paying clients.\n<\/p>\n
In late May, Patrick Mercer, Tory MP for Newark, was exposed for abusing his position by tabling parliamentary questions and motions and also offering lobbyists a security pass for the House of Commons in return for money.\n<\/p>\n
SSM\/HE<\/p>\n