Lack of transparency undermining Westminster standards system, parliament's sleaze watchdog warns

Standards commissioner Kathryn Stone appeals for right to name MPs who are under investigation

(AFP via Getty Images)

Parliament’s sleaze watchdog has warned that a lack of openness is undermining the Westminster standards system, as she appealed for a new right to name MPs who are under investigation.

In 2018, the House of Commons ruled that the Standards Commissioner could no longer reveal details of inquiries which she is undertaking, including the names of MPs under investigation and brief details of the allegations against them.

In her annual report published today, Commissioner Kathryn Stone warned that this left the public with the impression - often for a number of months before the results of the inquiry are published - that serious complaints are being ignored by the authorities.

And she said it allowed MPs to stand for re-election without voters being aware that they are under investigation.

Ms Stone also raised concerns over the new Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme introduced following the “Pestminister” scandal over alleged cases of sexual harassment and bullying.

She said the scheme was “introduced quickly and without clear governance” and that blanket requirements for anonymity for all involved were “open to exploitation by the unscrupulous”.

It was “concerning” that in some cases details of complaints appear to have been made public by the complainants themselves, without either the subject of the complaint or the investigators being able to correct inaccuracies.

Ms Stone said she had asked the House of Commons Standards Committee to ask the parliamentary authorities for permission for her to return to the practice of naming MPs under investigation and to allow her to correct inaccurate reports about complaints under the new grievance system.

Writing in her annual report, Ms Stone said: “Openness is one of the seven principles of public life. It is a foundation of the parliamentary standards system. I am sorry to say that for the last two years there has been less openness than before about my inquiries.

“I am no longer permitted to give out any information at all during an investigation, even to confirm that it is taking place. That is because on 19 July 2018 the House ended the arrangements under which I published on my webpages brief details of ongoing investigations.

“I do still publish my decisions, along with the evidence I have considered. When a case has ended, that will allow MPs, complainants and the public to see how I have reached my conclusions. But for the weeks and months while an inquiry is going on, the public will not know for certain that it is happening.

“This lack of openness undermines the standards system. If a serious concern comes to light and no-one confirms that an investigation has started, it is easy to assume that no action is being taken. It is also easy for misinformation to circulate.

“And these arrangements allow an MP to stand for office or for re-election without the public knowing that they are being investigated.

“I have therefore asked the Standards Committee to invite the House to restore the pre-July 2018 arrangements. This would allow me … to publish very brief details on my webpages. Until an investigation has finished I would not give out information other than the MP’s name and the matter under inquiry. This was the arrangement before July 2018, which in my view represents a proper balance between confidentiality and transparency.”