“No one is too old to learn lessons,” says former army chief in response to Lord’s suspension
The former British Army chief has reacted after it was announced he faces a four-month suspension from the House of Lords. You can read this story here.
Lord Dannatt was temporarily banned from attending the Upper Chamber after he was found to have breached the Lords' code of conduct.
A report published by the Lords Conduct Committee found that he had shown a “clear willingness to undertake activities that would have amounted to paid parliamentary work” to an undercover Guardian reporter.
It was pointed out that he had not actually received any cash, but that his behavior had violated the rules of conduct for peers.
Evidence later emerged of three separate cases in which Lord Dannatt had provided parliamentary services for pay.
In these incidents he wrote letters to ministers and officials and, in two cases, attended a meeting with a minister or senior official.
Reacting to the suspension, the former chief of staff said he had been the subject of a “loophole operation” by undercover Guardian journalists and had referred himself to the Standards Commissioner.
He said: “Following the investigation, the commissioner found that I had not breached the code of conduct by attempting to profit from membership of the House of Lords by accepting or agreeing to accept any payment or other incentive or reward for the provision of parliamentary services; as he found, I did not lobby and did not receive any payment.”
“However, the commissioner considered that during the Zoom meeting I had with the Guardian’s undercover journalists I demonstrated that I had failed to uphold my personal honor and breached the code of conduct in relation to statements I made to the journalists.”
“The Guardian published three more stories about me after its journalists combed through my entries on the House of Lords Register of Interests and made a series of Freedom of Information requests to government departments, prompting the commissioner to expand his investigation accordingly.”
“The Commissioner found that I had breached the Code of Conduct in these three matters. For the avoidance of doubt, I would like to add that the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists also investigated the two UK-based matters and concluded that I did not lobby consultants.”
“Deep regret”
He said he “deeply regretted” the commissioner's findings and had decided “not to waste the committee's time on appeal.”
“I further accept that ignorance of any aspect of the Code is not a defense and that the registration of my interests with the Registrar of Lords' Interests and my declaration of my relevant interests in correspondence and at meetings, as was the case in all three matters, were inadequate.”
“I also understand that acting in the national interest in good faith, which was my motivation in the three matters, does not constitute an excuse or justification for a breach of the Code of Conduct.
“At nearly seventy-five years old, no one is too old to learn lessons, and I hope these activities will be placed in the context of my fifty-six years of public service.”
About the Author
