Jack Straw & Malcolm Rifkind in 'cash for access' sting.

Agreed.

And I thought Jack Straw was one of the few 'good guys'. Are they all at it? Do we have any honest politicians?

But re your OP POGS honesty would be a bonus it seems, stupidly appears to be the norm.

It is so depressing - is there no-one who is not corrupted by power?

The programme won't be shown until this evening but I've heard the interviews on Today and TV and read the Telegraph. It seems to me that as Rifkind said, they haven't done anything wrong. Lots of people accept commissions in addition to their main jobs and they are able to because of their expertise or knowledge. Milliband says he's going to stop MPs from moonlighting but until he does, it's perfectly legal. Rifkind says most people think it's good that MPs aren't just politicians and I think he's right. The unsavoury part of the story to my mind is that Channel 4 and the Telegraph set up a sting just so they could make Straw and Rifkind look bad, not to expose illegal or unethical activity. To call it 'Cash for access' in this case is nonsense.

I am far more concerned that there are some Tory MP's who have interests in private health companies , if we have a Tory government returned in May these MP's will be part of a government controlling the NHS

Well said, lily. My first thought on reading about this story was "What happened to innocent until proven guilty?"

I suppose all MPs are involved in more than just their MP jobs. Some Tories may be involved in private health companies while some Labour ones may be in the pay of the Unions. Hard choices to be made in this election. No party is completely OK by me. Sorry to hear about this "sting" though. I always liked Jack Straw and knew a high ranking civil servant who worked with him and spoke highly of him. Thought he was one of the good ones. Journalists do love a story and will set one up if necessary.

I thought both MPs defended their positions very well on the Today programme this morning. Why shouldn't Jack Straw undertake some pre retirement planning?

Jane10, not sure what you mean when you say some labour MP's may be in the pay of the unions , in the pay of means receiving back handers surely ?

The Telegraph is not coming out of this whole sorry affair very well to my mind. It could well be a smoke screen to cover the fuss last week about the reporter resigning in protest against their lack of cover of the HSBC scandal. I dont think the Telegraph owners, the creepy tax dodging Barclay brothers are in any position to start name calling MPs. The whole business is a disgrace, and I felt disappointed with Jack Straw in particular, but after hearing him on Radio 4 this morning, I am more angry with the Telegraph than disappointed in Straw and Rifkind to be honest.

This is what is for sale openly on the Tory party website.

https://www.conservatives.com/donate/donor_clubs.aspx

Not surprising to learn that the Telegraph was involved in setting up this 'sting'. Malcolm Riffkind is one of the most pro-Europe Conservatives and Jack Straw a very senior Labour politician. Having said that, they have both been at best foolish and at worst venal. It's going to take all their wit to wriggle out of this.

I found the link on this article.

www.politics.co.uk/blogs/2015/02/23/cash-for-access-rifkind-and-straw-s-actions-are-the-norm-in

Jane10, there was a union leader on the television last week saying that if it had not been for the unions there would not be a Labour party.
Unions supporting Labour MPs has always been the norm.

It's not just one party who have 'connections'. to private health companies!

This is not particularly about one party being better or worse .

The fact is they have put themselves into a position whereby they feel they have to report themselves to Parliamentary Standards .

In my OP I clearly stated 'if found guilty'. They might call it a 'skillful deception' but to me they have been very foolish and it has raised the ugly head of the 'cash for access' issue which did for the likes of Stephen Byers, Patricia Hewitt, Patrick Mercer and Jeff Hoon.

'IF' ' Straw has, as being reported, boasted he operated ' under the radar' to use his influence to change European Rules on behalf of a commodity firm which pays him £60,000 a year then I don't think there will be much pity if this is proven.

I have no issue with MP's having jobs outside of their parliamentary roles. Some are doctors for example and I would prefer to have MP's who have a mix of backgrounds and skills. However cash for questions, cash for access does not sit well with me .

There are many MP's who will put a bill forward because they believe in what they are hoping to achieve, they do not deserve to be tarred and feathered by other MP's who only have self interest at heart. Only time will tell if Rifkind and Straw are innocent or guilty but in the meantime that's the damage they have caused. Other MP's did not engage with this sting and that should be remembered but it won't be will it.

This gives a very interesting take on the situation, and it's mainly about Labour.

https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/adam-ramsay/it%27s-no-surprise-rifkind-and-straw-don%27t-get-it-westminster%27s-swimming-in-cor

It's interesting to see how much other people get for their influence.
I agree about it being not surprising that the Telegraph did the sting.
I would have thought they would have stayed out of it for the time being, with all the tax fiddles their bosses get up to. Maybe it's just a way to deflect attention.

On the radio just now someone was saying that we could not expect MPs to live just on their £60k pa - why not? - we live on about a third of that and do not consider myself deprived. MPs also get lots of extras in the way of expenses - and rightly so - but this should mean that they do not need these outside jobs and "consultantships." It is just greed in my book.

I agree, Mishap. Then this grey area of cash for access would not happen.
I always thought that MPs could not take positions where a company would benefit from their experience. When did that change, or was that just in the civil service?

I had already started a thread on this subject headed "Our Pathetic Press". Perhaps they should be rolled together but I have no idea how to do/request this.

I Agree that the whole thing is rather sordid and disappointing. I suspect that once the house breaks up for Easter and the election campaign starts in earnest that there are going to be some nasty things going on and lots of revelations.

Anniebach and Durhamjen re Unions supporting Labour- I know! That's why I said it!

They both seem to have been very foolish - which is worrying considering the positions they both held.
I always thought that Rifkind was rather pompous and Jack Straw a prig but I agree, innocent until proved guilty

I was brought up to believe that one of the great strengths of this country was a legal system that worked on the assumption that no matter who they were, a man/woman were innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. I don't know whether theses two MP's are guilty of any misconduct or not because as far as I'm aware no such court case has been conducted. That being the case, I find this modern trend of trial by media quite unacceptable. These two men have served this country well over their working lives, and to now vilify them, probably wrecking their reputations and making their lives a misery for the next God knows how long, before an investigation has had the chance to examine these allegations, or give them the chance to explain themselves is disgraceful. Already they have been hung out to dry, and the mob is baying, much to the delight of the sanctimonious BBC. If they've done wrong then of course they must be punished, but we don't know that yet, but the punishment is already under way!

agreed nigglynellie it is all the more galling when it is The Telegraph who has done the entrapment, they are in no position to take the high moral ground as far as I am concerned. I am disappointed in Straw in particular, not for being greedy, but for being stupid, it sounded today as if he was exasperated with himself; he said there have been many of these entrapment type business meetings and he has seen through them in the past, I am sure that Rifkind is the same. Unveiling the expenses scandal was a great thing done by the Telegraph, but I think they have sunk too low this time.