UK: Crooks in the House of Lords caught selling their services!

Erminegate: police called to examine corruption allegations in House of Lords

• Four Labour peers offered cash for influence
• Matter is 'very serious', says leader of upper house

The Metropolitan police will today be urged to investigate whether two Labour peers broke the law after allegedly indicating to undercover reporters that they had used their influence to help to amend legislation in exchange for payments.

As the government admitted that the peers were facing "very grim" allegations, the Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman, Chris Huhne, said he would write to the police today to ask them to investigate whether bribery offences had been committed.

"If these allegations are confirmed, they are not merely a breach of the Lords' rules, but are surely also against the law on corrupt practices," Huhne said.

He intervened after the Sunday Times reported that Lord Taylor of Blackburn and Lord Truscott had admitted influencing legislation on behalf of clients. Their alleged comments were made to undercover reporters who claimed two other peers - Lords Moonie and Snape - were also allegedly willing to use their influence. All four peers deny wrongdoing.

The newspaper approached the four peers to ask them to help a fictitious Hong Kong businessman who was worried that the business rate and supplements bill would impose extra taxes on his business. The businessman was supposedly setting up 30 retail outlets across Britain. The newspaper reported that:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jan/25/lords-house-commons-corruption-allegations