Straw Flounders Before CPSL Committee

Posted on Jul 16, 2009 in blog, Kelly Report The Committee for Standards in Public Life, chaired by Sir Christopher Kelly, today had its last scheduled hearing (though they may recall some witnesses post-recess). Secretary of State Jack Straw was up today, defending the hasty passage of the Parliamentary Standards Bill, which is due to become law next Tuesday if it passes the Commons in its newly amended form. Dr Elizabeth Vallance...
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Sunlight Raises Thousands of Pounds Online for Jacqui Smith Private Prosecution

Posted on Jul 15, 2009 in blog, frontpage Press Release For Immediate release Chris Galley research director of the Sunlight Centre says of the "Bringing Jacqui to Justice" campaign for a private prosecution of Jacqui Smith MP: "We are very happy that on the first day of fund raising we have had something like a 100 donations online and raised £7,000.  We wait to see what the post brings tomorrow, most...
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Sunlight COPs Will Prosecute Jacqui Smith

Posted on Jul 15, 2009 in blog, frontpage, projects  As revealed exclusively in this morning’s Daily Mail, The Sunlight Centre for Open Politics have instructed Bark and Co solicitors to prepare to prosecute the former Home Secretary for fraud. The Sunlight COPs are now raising thousands of pounds for the case. Please donate to our cause by cheque, card or paypal here. Here is what the Daily Mail had to say: Whitehall mole...
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Inquiry into Damian Green Raid Announced

Posted on Jul 10, 2009 in blog Sir Menzies Campbell is to chair an inquiry into the police raid on the Commons office of Tory MP Damian Green. The former Lib Dem leader will review how the Commons authorities deal with search requests from the police. The cross-party panel also includes former home secretaries David Blunkett and Michael Howard and ex-foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind. Commons leader...
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Lords criticism of expenses reform plan

Posted on Jul 7, 2009 in blog A House of Lords committee has said that the recent Parliamentary Standards Bill has been drawn up "behind closed doors" and seemed most concerned with "public perception" The government says it is "imperative" that a new independent regulatory body for MPs’ expenses be set up quickly. The Parliamentary Standards Bill cleared its Commons stages last week but...
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