Conduct Of The Leader Of The Opposition (No. 3)

EDM number 194 in 1997-98, proposed by Christopher Leslie on 02/07/1997.

That this House notes with concern the financial links between the Leader of the Opposition and the honourable Member for Mid Bedfordshire, given that honourable Member's record in running a lobbying company, Ranelegh, that refused to submit to the industry's system of regulation; further notes Raneleigh's organisation of a private seminar on the previous Government's taxation policy, the participants in which were charged ú700 to attend a discussion with Ministers on matters of public policy; further notes that when the Right honourable Member for Livingston exposed this, the then Employment Secretary Mr Michael Portillo, was so embarrassed that he withdrew from the seminar; regrets that the Leader of the Opposition did not show similar judgement in his relationship with the honourable Member for Mid Bedfordshire; believes that the Leader of the Opposition's ability to deal with sleaze in his party will be judged not on the basis of fine words but on action; and further believes that so far such action has been lacking.

This motion has been signed by a total of 19 MPs.