Since time immemorial, in this country, honours have been bought and sold. The practice became illegal, as a result of Lloyd George's blatant corruption in office, with the passing of the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925. In spite of the practice becoming illegal, nothing really changed save for it going under cover again. That is, until The Sunday Times Insight investigation team revealed it again. The story might have died a death were it not for Angus MacNeil MP, writing the following letter to the police, which forced the police to investigate the claims.
Sir Ian Blair
Commissioner
Metropolitian Police
New Scotland Yard
London
SW1H 0BG
Thursday 16th March 2006
Dear Sir Ian,
I am writing to you regarding the growing circumstantial evidence surrounding the alleged selling of peerages. I am sure you will be aware of the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925. Section 1 (1) states that:
"If any person accepts, obtains or agrees to accept or obtain from any person, for himself or for any other person, or for any purpose, any gift, money or valuable consideration as an inducement or reward for procuring or assisting or endeavouring to procure the grant of a dignity or title of honour to any person or otherwise in connection with such a grant, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanour."
The body of evidence in the Sunday Times dossier is incredibly damning. With 80 pence in every £1 going donated to the Labour party by individuals comes from people who have been honoured. Every donor who has given the party more than £1 million has been given a knighthood or a peerage.
There is also the refusal of the House of Lords Appointments Commission to accept recent nominations from the Labour Party to consider. This would appear to be a case for investigation under this Act to see if any criminality has taken place.
Three quarters of those individuals who have given more than £50 000 to the Labour Party since 2001 have received an honour.
I urge you to open an investigation into this very serious matter.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Angus MacNeil MP
Na h-Eileanan an Iar
I don't know what prompted Angus MacNeil MP to write the letter and start the ball rolling, or where it will end. I do know that I am not happy about this. Leaving aside the cut backs in Legal Aid for the needy, I feel that it is improper that somebody in the government has decided that the taxpayers should pay for the legal bills which the individuals involved should pay themselves, or failing that, the Labour Party should pay as it is their corruption which is under investigation. This whole sordid affair needs to be sorted out. And, the sooner the better.
A mixture of law, politics, autobiography and humour. Once described as "The Devilish Advocate" (Guardian), I do have the ability to provoke a response. Sometimes it comes from someone who uses a thought process, and sometimes from jerks usually associated with the knee.
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