Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

24 U.K. lords placed under investigation over financial interests

24 U.K. lords placed under investigation over financial interests

Twenty-four members of the House of Lords have been placed under investigation, after openDemocracy revealed they had not declared details of companies that they run.

The Standards Commissioner today launched an official probe into the lords – who include Tory donor Lord Bamford, Labour’s Lord Carter of Coles, and the businessman and media personality Lord Sugar.

Rules state that if a lord is a company director, they should “give a broad indication of the company’s business, where this is not self-evident from its name”. But openDemocracy found that dozens of peers have not done this.

Lord Carter of Coles was reported over an offshore company he runs, called Primary Group Limited, based in the tax haven of Bermuda. Although he has declared his directorship, he has not said what the company does.

Lord Bamford, who owns digger firm JCB and has given millions to the Conservative Party, says he is also the director of a company called Editallied Limited. But again, no further details are provided.

Meanwhile, Lord Sugar did not provide a description of one of his companies, Harper Fox Partners Ltd.

Another peer, Lord Powell of Bayswater, who is Margaret Thatcher’s former adviser, now sits on the board of directors for the Paris-based Financière Agache, which owns the luxury fashion house Christian Dior. He provides no description of the company on the official Register of Interests.

In total, openDemocracy identified 54 financial interests from 42 peers that may be in breach of the rules. A few of these were not reported to the Commissioner of Standards because they were changed or rectified shortly after.

A formal complaint was later submitted to the Standards Commissioner last month by Tom Brake, the former Liberal Democrat MP who is now director of Unlock Democracy.

The Commissioner has now announced a formal probe into 24 of these peers.

Commenting on today’s announcement, Brake said: “I welcome the fact that the Lords Commissioner of Standards has launched an investigation into a large number of peers.

“We are making a simple request; that peers are upfront about their business dealings. Without this transparency, people cannot judge whether peers are speaking in the public’s interest or their own.”

When details of the potential breach were first revealed by openDemocracy, MPs and campaigners criticised the lack of transparency in the House of Lords.

Margaret Hodge, the former chair of the Public Accounts Committee, said: “The rules state clearly that if a peer is a director of a company, they are expected to explain what that company does.

“Failure to do so is of course not itself an indicator of wrongdoing, but the sheer scale of the problem shows that there is a problematic lack of transparency in the Lords. It’s especially concerning to see major Tory party donors or close pals of the PM on this list. The whole thing leaves a bad taste in the mouth.”

The Labour MP added: “This important investigation by openDemocracy raises serious questions over the veracity of some entries in the register of interests in the Lords.”

Sue Hawley, senior director at Spotlight on Corruption, also told openDemocracy that there should be much stronger sanctions for politicians who consistently fail to be transparent.

“The constant drip-feed of scandals about politicians breaching rules is seriously corroding trust in politics and government. Meeting basic transparency rules in financial interest declarations is a fundamental aspect of a healthy democracy,” she said.

The full list of peers under investigation


1. Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
2. Lord Bamford
3. Lord Bilimoria
4. Lord Borwick
5. Lord Carter of Coles
6. Lord Crisp
7. Lord Curry of Kirkharle
8. Lord Fellowes of West Stafford
9. Lord Hameed
10.Lord Kestenbaum
11.Lord Kirkham
12.Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate
13.Lord Levene of Portsoken
14.Lord Northbrook
15.Lord Powell of Bayswater
16.Lord Redesdale
17.Lord Selkirk of Douglas
18.Lord St John of Bletso
19.Lord Sugar
20.Lord Wei
21.Lord Whitby
22.Lord Wolfson of Aspley Guise
23.The Duke of Wellington
24.The Earl of Liverpool

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
×