'Cab for hire' highlights need for transparency and higher ethical standards

Wednesday, 24 March 2010

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Commenting on the reports that a former Cabinet Minster was willing to offer himself as a 'cab for hire',

Transparency International UK, the world's leading anti-corruption watchdog, said:

"This episode, coming on top of scandals related to MPs' expenses and cash for peerages, reinforces the need to increase transparency and raise ethical standards in public life.  With a large new intake of MPs expected after the General Election, it is vital that there is a culture change within parliament such that ethics and public service are put above personal interest and financial gain.

“Citizens and voters are losing faith in parliament to an extent that threatens the effectiveness of the democratic process.  It is clear that self-regulation does not work, and that lack of transparency encourages ethical misjudgment to thrive.   The parliamentary authorities need to find a way of convincing the electorate that these problems can be addressed and that thorough and effective change can be achieved."  

Transparency International UK has published its concerns about standards in public life in its recent Manifesto ‘Zero Tolerance for Corruption’.  This calls on all political parties to include anti-corruption commitments in their manifestos, including:

  • Formally commit that the Party’s MPs, other elected representatives and Peers will at all times adhere faithfully to the Seven Principles of Public Life known as the ‘Nolan Principles’: Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty and Leadership; and expel from the Party those found to have breached the Principles.
  • MPs providing false or misleading information on expense claims should be answerable at law for offences of fraud and false accounting under the criminal law of the UK applying to all citizens.
  • Support an open review of the system for monitoring and auditing expense claims in the House of Lords.
  • Review present Guidelines and Rules for business appointments taken by Ministers and Crown Servants after leaving government service, to ensure they are not tainted by suspicion of impropriety.