ROBERTSON ROUNDS ON GOVERNMENT OVER STANDARDS SELL-OUT

ROBERTSON ROUNDS ON GOVERNMENT OVER STANDARDS SELL-OUT

BILL FALLS SHORT OF SCOTTISH BENCHMARK

SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson MP has expressed disappointment that the Parliamentary Standards Bill has fallen short of Scottish Parliament transparency and accountability standards – after Lords amendments removing proposals which would have made it an offence for an MP to intentionally fail to declare financial interests were accepted this evening.

SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson MP argued that the legislation must match Scottish Parliament standards of transparency, including the introduction of criminal penalties against MPs who break the rules.

Mr Robertson said:

“It is disappointing to say the least that the government has accepted the Lords amendments and pushed through these watered down proposals. Have people forgotten already the seriousness of the expenses scandals that brought us to this position?

“This Bill should be about trying to build trust in the Westminster system, but when push came to shove Labour and the Tories accepted the Lords removal of legal accountability on the key issue of financial interests.

“It is essential that we move to a trustworthy system - and the Scottish Parliament sets the benchmark on how that can be done. It is essential that Westminster matches Scottish Parliament standards of transparency, including the introduction of criminal penalties against MPs who break the rules on expenses or fail to properly declare financial interests.

“The Scottish Parliament has shown the way with legal sanctions that can be applied against wayward parliamentarians, and Westminster must introduce the same sanctions against MPs that break the rules

“We now need to get on with the independent audit of the last four years of claims so that MPs’ accounts can be cleared or otherwise, and we get on with the urgent process of restoring public confidence.”