A former leader of the British Army has been given a four-month suspension from the House of Lords for violating lobbying regulations. Lord Dannatt, who previously held the position of Chief of the General Staff from 2006 to 2009, was discovered to have breached rules regarding offering parliamentary services in exchange for benefits. He was caught on camera by undercover reporters, posing as businessmen, offering to arrange meetings with government officials for a fictitious property development firm.
Lord Dannatt voluntarily reported himself to the ethics watchdog, which uncovered additional instances of him contacting ministers or government officials on behalf of companies in which he had a financial interest, namely UK Nitrogen, Teledyne UK, and Blue International Holdings.
Although no money changed hands, Lord Dannatt was found to have demonstrated a willingness to engage in activities that could be considered paid parliamentary services. The Lords Conduct Committee supported the findings and recommendations made by the independent Commissioner for Standards, resulting in Lord Dannatt’s four-month suspension from the House of Lords.
The Conduct Committee acknowledged Lord Dannatt’s expressions of regret and awareness of the harm such actions can cause to the reputation of the House. However, they emphasized that the four separate breaches of the code, spanning over two years, warranted a significant penalty due to the frequency and duration of Lord Dannatt’s inappropriate interactions with officials.
In response, Lord Dannatt expressed regret over the Commissioner’s findings and chose not to contest the sanctions, acknowledging the insufficiency of his previous disclosures of interests. He emphasized the importance of learning from his mistakes despite his many years of public service.
Similarly, Lord Evans of Watford received a five-month suspension for violating lobbying rules by offering access to government ministers. Allegations were made that the Labour peer engaged in “cash for access” schemes with individuals posing as potential clients of his son’s company, Affinity, in which he held a one-third ownership stake.
The investigation found that Lord Evans failed to uphold his personal integrity when he indicated a willingness to introduce the undercover journalists to Members of Parliament due to his financial ties to Affinity. Furthermore, he was found to have sponsored events at the House of Lords on behalf of the company, in violation of House rules regarding event ticket pricing.
These suspensions are pending approval by the House of Lords. Both peers opted not to challenge the Commissioner’s findings or the recommended penalties.