Welsh Labour MP blasts Conservatives over ‘conflicts of interest’
A Welsh Labour MP has blasted the UK Government over what he called their lack of understanding of the concept of conflicts of interest.
Rhonda MP Chris Bryant who is Chair of the Parliamentary Standards Committee posted a video message to his social media followers in which he said that Chancellor Rishini Sunak should not have been holding an American Green Card while he was negotiating with the USA without parliament knowing.
He also asked why Rishi Sunak was in charge of policy on non-domiciled residents while his wife was a ‘non-dom’, without declaring that.
The Chancellor has written to the Prime Minister to ask for an investigation into his financial affairs to determine whether all his interests were “properly declared”.
Rishi Sunak said on Twitter that he had “always followed the rules” and that he hoped the review would “provide further clarity”.
In the letter, the Chancellor asked Boris Johnson to refer him to the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests, Lord Geidt, “given the recent speculation around my declarations”.
Today I have written to the Prime Minister asking him to refer my ministerial declarations to the Independent Advisor on Ministers’ Interests.
I have always followed the rules and I hope such a review will provide further clarity. pic.twitter.com/JjVRDFJELl
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) April 10, 2022
But Chris Bryant said that it was clear that “the Tories just don’t seem to get at the moment” the “concept of a conflict of interest”.
“No Minister should ever make a decision on a matter where they have a personal interest,” he said.
“If there is a conflict of interest – the public interest in the private interest conflict – then they should recuse themselves from the decision. They should step away from the decision.
“And nearly any ordinary member of the public, any local councillor, would understand that if there’s a planning decision in your own street or affecting your brother’s house or your aunties house, whatever, you cannot take part in that decision.
“You step out of the room, you declare it and you step out of the room, and that’s exactly what Sunak should have been doing.”
The Tories just don’t understand conflict of interest. In most countries it’s called corruption. pic.twitter.com/LTllwl9xGK
— Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) April 11, 2022
He added that “there’s a conflict of interest for Sunak” because he was “making decisions about non-dom status, making policy on non-dom status”.
“The rules say he has to declare it to the ministers who are taking part in it, he has to step aside from that decision,” Chris Bryant added. “And there’s meant to be a written record of all of these decisions about how to deal with the conflict of interest.
“For Sunak there’s also a conflict of interest holding an American green card when he was Chancellor and negotiating with the United States of America, which is a country which he was declaring he intended to make his permanent residence.
“These are conflicts of interest and we’ve known now for the last year that this set of government ministers has no understanding of this very simple concept of a conflict of interest.”
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Yes minister what ever you say minister…Civil service totally lost the plot from the Home Office to Downing Street not fit for our purpose, only their crooked bosses…
Green card holders have to promise to fight for the USA when called upon… against ALL external forces including those of the UK if required.
The man with our defence budget in his hands swore allegiance to another country and will most likely get away with it unlike William Joyce and Vidkun Quisling.
Good piece in Guardian by Bill McKibben…Covering Climate Now…
Why don’t Chris Bryant start fighting for wales.instead of chasing headlines there are plenty of things with regard too Wales to get your teeth into like the rape of the fair country part two that is in progress with regard to new forms of clean energy
Chris Bryant asked 358 questions in the English government and only 3 was about the Rhondda he is a disgrace to the people of the Rhondda and he’s got 4 properties in London
What’s the betting nothing will happen, time will go by and people will forget. That is how this corrupt UK government operates at the moment, what it hopes for. However, it’s day of reckoning is coming but that may take a long long time knowing this country. By that time we’ll be independent and out of the rot.
It is right in my opinion that Chris Bryant addresses corruption in Westminster, because that is his place of work and his job is to sit in opposition to the English government.
Are other things more important? Perhaps. But ultimately calling out corruption is also important and their parliament should be able to do more than one thing at a time.
Insofar as Cymru is concerned, this should be seen as yet another reason Westminster is not fit for purpose
Good that Bryant asked that question but like so many of his colleagues he refrains from advancing to the logical point which is why on earth have all these loopholes in our tax regime anyway. Maybe the answer lies in the fact that, like the Tories, Labour too has too big a stake in those loopholes. Many of their backers and possibly some M.P’s are also beneficiaries of a regime riddled with opportunities for “mitigation” of one’s personal tax burden if one can afford the advice to identify and exploit said loopholes. It’s called being selective with the criticism.
Chris Bryant got 4 properties in London he is a disgrace to the Rhondda kick all English party’s out of wales 🏴 it’s time for a New Wales 🏴
This is a smokescreen for Bryant’s own checkered past. Bryant is no Snow White, he has his own issues with the British taxpayer. He is a consummate Westminster politician who loves the status and accoutrements of being an MP.
The irony with Chris Bryant is that when Labour were in power last could have closed these loopholes and addressed ones with non-dom status bit didn’t. And why? Because his party were bankrolled by these once Tory donors. Not to mention Chris Bryant himself was one for claiming thousands in expenses from the public purse. He once claimed £92,000 in expenses over a period of 5 years after flipping his second-,home numerous times claiming back thousands in stamp duty and service charges. A tad hypocritical don’t you think? And less said about him appearing in his underpants on a notorious… Read more »
That damned song…should have called the party ‘only a bit labour’…