A former leader of the British Army has been given a four-month suspension from the House of Lords for breaching lobbying regulations. Lord Dannatt, who headed the General Staff from 2006 to 2009, was discovered to have violated rules prohibiting the exchange of parliamentary services for “payment or reward.” The independent investigation revealed instances where Lord Dannatt promised to arrange meetings with government officials for a fictitious property development company, posing as businessmen.
Upon self-referral to the watchdog, Lord Dannatt’s actions were further scrutinized, uncovering three additional incidents where he contacted ministers or civil servants on behalf of companies in which he had a financial interest, namely UK Nitrogen, Teledyne UK, and Blue International Holdings. Although no monetary transactions occurred, the investigation found that Lord Dannatt displayed a readiness to engage in activities that could be construed as paid parliamentary services.
The Lords Conduct Committee, supported by the Commissioner for Standards, upheld the findings and imposed a four-month suspension on Lord Dannatt. The committee acknowledged his remorse but emphasized the severity of the breaches, citing four separate violations over a two-year period as warranting a significant penalty.
In response, Lord Dannatt expressed regret over the findings and accepted the suspension, recognizing the insufficiency of his disclosures of interests and the importance of abiding by the Code of Conduct. He emphasized his commitment to learning and hoped his long record of public service would provide context to his actions.
Additionally, Lord Evans of Watford faced a five-month suspension for violating lobbying rules by offering access to ministers. Allegations surfaced that the Labour peer, who held shares in a company owned by his son, offered access to undercover journalists posing as potential clients. The Commissioner found that Lord Evans failed to uphold his personal integrity by leveraging his financial stake in the company for introductions to MPs and breaching event rules at the House of Lords.
Approval from the House of Lords is required for the suspensions to take effect, with neither peer contesting the findings or penalties proposed by the Commissioner.