Standards in Public Life

Every day in public office is a privilege, so I understand the anger when public service is brought into disrepute by the actions of individuals.  

I welcome the Government’s commitment to bring forward new legislation that will allow Members of the House of Lords to be stripped of their peerages if they bring Parliament into disrepute. I understand that the Government has asked the Chair of the Lords Conduct Committee to consider what changes are needed to make this possible and has offered full backing to help implement them. I will be supporting this legislation when it is presented to Parliament. 

I also took part in the Opposition Day Debate in February on the appointment of Peter Mandelson as Ambassador to Washington. As more details have come to light, many people have understandably questioned how this appointment was allowed to go ahead and why the concerns of Epstein’s victims seemed to be overlooked. I told the House that the Foreign Affairs Select Committee should have had the chance to ask Mandelson directly about his relationship with Epstein, as we requested many times, so his answers could be put clearly on public record. I also updated colleagues on the work the Committee has done to understand the vetting process behind his appointment and make sure every step was properly followed and that full due diligence took place. You can read my comments relating to Mandelson’s appointment here.  

You can also find an interview with Channel 4, where I spoke more about the impact of his appointment here.