Disclosure

Parliament has adopted the provisions of the Members of Parliament (Pecuniary Interests) Bill as a Standing Order - meaning that now our representatives will be forced to disclose their financial interests so as to avoid conflicts on interest. But while this is a positive step, it is far less than what is required. Passage as a standing order makes the transparency regime subject to a less-than-transparent enforcement mechanism, which will always be tainted with the prospect of self-interested politicians sitting in judgement on themselves to the detriment of the public. The government had the option of enacting a proper transparency regime, by passing the bill into law, making disclosures subject to the courts, and having actual penalties for failure to disclose. But for some reason - the same reason they object to cameras filming MPs asleep in the house? - they didn't do it. And for that, they deserve to be condemned.