:00:12. > :00:16.language and some scenes which some viewers may find upsetting. Does it
:00:16. > :00:20.say Fiji anywhere in this? This is the moment that prompted the
:00:20. > :00:25.downfall of a senior Conservative MP and sparked a major lobbying
:00:25. > :00:29.scandal. You had better check it. Yeah. Patrick Mercer is about to
:00:29. > :00:39.sign a contract. He is agreeing to lobby for business interests in a
:00:39. > :00:40.
:00:40. > :00:43.country run by a military dictatorship. Strike it out.The MP
:00:43. > :00:47.thinks that signing the contract could earn him �24,000 a year.
:00:47. > :00:54.find this with pleasure and I have to say, thank you, it is a generous
:00:54. > :00:59.offer. Cash for questions is back to haunt Parliament. Ella Bobbin I have
:00:59. > :01:02.done a whole series of questions, which I can show you, they are stuck
:01:02. > :01:07.in my office. I will put them in unless you want to see them
:01:07. > :01:12.beforehand. Three years ago David Cameron promised to bring lobbying
:01:12. > :01:17.under control. It is the next big scandal waiting to happen. I am
:01:17. > :01:21.talking about lobbying. But the law he pledged never materialised and
:01:21. > :01:27.our fake lobbying company is open for business in Westminster. It is
:01:27. > :01:31.Daniel Mann, working for Alistair Andrews Communications. The MP on
:01:31. > :01:35.our books has promised us a Westminster pass, debates and even
:01:35. > :01:38.put through a Commons motion that we wrote. And he set up the
:01:38. > :01:44.Parliamentary Committee for us, saying he will arrange for its
:01:44. > :01:48.report to go to the top. You will meet the Foreign Secretary. What are
:01:48. > :01:53.you going to do about it? lobbying scandal has extended to the
:01:53. > :01:58.House of Lords. Two members have been suspended from their party.
:01:58. > :02:03.Lord Laird, I am Daniel. And this lord has resigned his party's whip,
:02:03. > :02:07.after telling us how he would tempt other members to join our committee
:02:07. > :02:12.with the prospect of free trips to the South Seas. I haven't said this
:02:12. > :02:18.but it is a bribe. It all goes to show how easy it still is to win
:02:18. > :02:23.parliamentary friends and buy influence in Westminster. In the
:02:23. > :02:27.context of the expenses scandal, other scandals in Parliament, we are
:02:27. > :02:37.-- where trust in politicians is that a very low level, this really
:02:37. > :02:45.
:02:45. > :02:51.is a deeply shocking breach of the than 20 years but for the past three
:02:51. > :02:53.months I have been posing as a lobbyist, called Daniel Mann.
:02:53. > :03:02.Lobbyists are paid to try and influence political decisions at
:03:02. > :03:07.Westminster. I want to see how far lobbyists with money to spend can
:03:07. > :03:15.infiltrate Parliament, trying to get MPs and peers to bend the rules.
:03:15. > :03:18.Four years ago the reputation of Westminster was sent into freefall.
:03:18. > :03:25.More embarrassing renovation -- revelations over parliamentary
:03:25. > :03:28.expenses. David Cameron reads the riot act to MPs. After expenses,
:03:28. > :03:33.there are constant concerns about the source of fresh parliamentary
:03:33. > :03:38.scandal and lobbying is one. It is the next big scandal waiting to
:03:38. > :03:42.happen. I am talking about lobbying. It is arouses people's worst fears
:03:42. > :03:48.and suspicions about how our political system works, so we must
:03:48. > :03:52.be the party that sorts this out. It is the next big scandal waiting to
:03:52. > :03:56.happen... But this speech is three years old but nothing has been
:03:56. > :04:02.sorted. What we should all be concerned about is the way that big,
:04:02. > :04:07.corporate lobbying has managed to get its tentacles into the
:04:07. > :04:10.Westminster system and I might -- and I am afraid to say I think there
:04:10. > :04:14.are big corporate interests that have too much influence that is
:04:14. > :04:18.unseen and that we are not aware off. Lobbying remains a serious
:04:18. > :04:26.issue. Some of the Prime Minister's most senior colleagues have run into
:04:26. > :04:29.trouble because of lobbyists. Parliamentary rules governing MP --
:04:29. > :04:36.MPs' conduct were tightened following the original cash for
:04:36. > :04:41.questions scandal involving MPs like Neil Hamilton. That was in the
:04:41. > :04:44.1990s. I want to see how easy it is now to get MPs and Lords to break
:04:44. > :04:54.strict rules governing payments. Members of Parliament under the Code
:04:54. > :04:57.of Conduct can take consultancies, or money for giving advice and
:04:57. > :05:03.assisting people in terms of how the Parliamentary process works, but
:05:03. > :05:08.they cannot take money for actually carrying out their parliamentary
:05:08. > :05:12.duties, for which of course they are paid a salary. Payments received
:05:12. > :05:15.must be listed in the Parliamentary register. Any relevant interest must
:05:15. > :05:23.be declared in connection with parliamentary motions, debates or
:05:23. > :05:30.questions. To really understand this business, I need to do it from the
:05:30. > :05:36.inside. The problem is I have never been a lobbyist. Getting a job as
:05:36. > :05:42.one is not an option. So I decide the only way to do this is to set up
:05:43. > :05:48.on my own. I will not get anywhere without a website. It is Daniel
:05:48. > :05:52.Mann, a worker Alistair Mann it'll -- Alistair Andrews Communications.
:05:52. > :05:58.Alistair Andrews Communications is my fictitious company's name. The
:05:58. > :06:03.website only costs several hundred pounds. I wrote the pitch myself.
:06:03. > :06:09.Our vision is your inspiration. is a shoestring operation claiming
:06:09. > :06:12.to be based in Australia but with a London office. Alistair Andrews
:06:13. > :06:19.Communications is a boutique consultancy, that works dynamically
:06:19. > :06:25.with our clients to solve their problems. What do you think? So
:06:25. > :06:28.where was a good place to start lobbying Parliament? Well, there are
:06:28. > :06:34.informal committees set up by MPs and peers, which are vulnerable to
:06:34. > :06:38.lobbyists. They are known as all-party parliamentary group is, or
:06:38. > :06:41.APPGs and lobbyists are allowed to fund their activities, sit on the
:06:41. > :06:47.meetings and even helped organise their influential reports. I am just
:06:47. > :06:51.going to Google APPG and you can immediately see there is an APPG for
:06:51. > :06:57.pretty much everything you could think of. The all-party pharmacy
:06:57. > :07:01.group, Africa, APPG, global health, tuberculosis, they go on, pages and
:07:01. > :07:06.pages. In all, there are nearly 600 of these groups in Parliament. There
:07:06. > :07:11.is even one for the BBC. While some of these groups may be genuinely
:07:11. > :07:13.useful, the influence of others is causing concern. I think the problem
:07:14. > :07:18.is that we sometimes look at all-party parliamentary group sand
:07:18. > :07:23.we think that they are something legitimate, but actually it turns
:07:23. > :07:28.out they are not really all they appear to be. They are often little
:07:28. > :07:31.more than front organisations for big corporate interests. Last year,
:07:31. > :07:36.the speakers of both Houses ordered an enquiry into their growth and
:07:36. > :07:41.practices. It concluded that there were too many and that MPs should
:07:41. > :07:45.think carefully about the number they sign up to. Sorry to bother
:07:45. > :07:52.you, I wanted to ask you... Some MPs have got rather a lot. I just wanted
:07:52. > :07:55.to ask how you manage to fit those around the rest of your
:07:55. > :08:00.parliamentary duties? I have spoken to two MPs who between them sit on
:08:00. > :08:04.more than 200 all-party groups. One compared it to liking something on
:08:04. > :08:07.Facebook. The other said, he was proud of what he had achieved on his
:08:08. > :08:13.committees. Thank you very much, thank you for your time. Many
:08:13. > :08:18.all-party groups do serve important functions and are run by MPs and
:08:18. > :08:25.Lords for selfless reasons but questions remain. I can't believe
:08:25. > :08:30.that an MP could have more than maybe five, six, ten interests. When
:08:30. > :08:35.you hear of MPs having over 100 groups come you have to question
:08:35. > :08:38.whether they have any interest in those subjects at all. All-party
:08:38. > :08:41.group activities, which lobbyists and commercial interests are allowed
:08:41. > :08:49.to pay for, include receptions like this one, for the East Asian
:08:49. > :08:55.business APPG. With so many groups, do we know enough about what they
:08:55. > :09:00.all do? I think it's very important in any democratic system that we
:09:00. > :09:04.know who are the main influences on our politicians, so that people out
:09:04. > :09:09.there can say, oh, yes, we know that that particular industry has been
:09:09. > :09:14.going in to see the minister, that it isn't all behind closed doors.
:09:14. > :09:17.have been told that lobbyists' influence on APPGs has become so
:09:17. > :09:26.great they have even persuaded some MPs to start these groups on their
:09:26. > :09:30.behalf. So I am going to try to get one started myself. First, I need a
:09:30. > :09:35.cover story. A fictional client, whose interests I can pretend to
:09:35. > :09:45.represent. So I have invented one in a place that needs a big helping
:09:45. > :09:50.
:09:50. > :10:00.hand. It might be attractive to MPs. Fiji. The welcome here is friendly.
:10:00. > :10:04.
:10:04. > :10:14.And the entertainment, pretty destination, it is also pretty
:10:14. > :10:16.
:10:16. > :10:21.quiet. In fact, I can't remember having so much beach to myself.
:10:21. > :10:26.There is a good reason for this. The military jump to that runs Fiji and
:10:26. > :10:31.its terrible human rights record. The Army has been in charge here
:10:31. > :10:37.since toppling the democratic government in 2006. Army chief Frank
:10:37. > :10:44.Bainimarama became Prime Minister. And as a result, Fiji was suspended
:10:44. > :10:48.from the Commonwealth. I have seen the nice side of Fiji, that every
:10:48. > :10:54.tourist sees, but what about the dark side? I'm entering loud joker
:10:54. > :10:56.now, the sugar capital of Fiji. Here, I'm going to meet the head of
:10:56. > :11:04.the trades union movement who is going to tell me a different story
:11:04. > :11:08.about modern-day Fiji. The effect that Frank Bainimarama has had in
:11:08. > :11:18.Fiji has been mainly negative. It has totally destroyed all semblance
:11:18. > :11:19.
:11:19. > :11:22.of democracy. What we see is a total dictatorship in Fiji. One casualties
:11:22. > :11:26.has been Fiji's main industry, sugar. The suspension from the
:11:26. > :11:29.Commonwealth and intimidation of farmers has led to a collapse in
:11:29. > :11:38.production but those that criticise the Army for this, or anything else,
:11:39. > :11:43.pay have it -- pay a heavy penalty. I was pulled into a room by senior
:11:43. > :11:49.officers and then they beat me up. They punched me, they kicked me,
:11:49. > :11:55.they abused me. I was warned that I would have to keep shut, if not my
:11:55. > :11:59.life would be in danger. The only good news of the government is
:11:59. > :12:03.promising to restore democracy. Frank Bainimarama and his team would
:12:03. > :12:06.like to see Fiji allowed back into the Commonwealth, but he also
:12:06. > :12:14.understands that that is not possible until such time we have
:12:14. > :12:16.free and fair elections. Fiji is not a happy story but it has given me
:12:16. > :12:22.the perfect vehicle to get Alistair Andrews Communications into
:12:22. > :12:27.business. There is already a friends of Fiji, so I am going to be working
:12:27. > :12:33.on behalf of the newlyformed Society of Friends of Fiji. An association
:12:33. > :12:37.of businesses I have invented that once Fiji back in the Commonwealth.
:12:37. > :12:43.We seek to promote investment in Fiji, not only in regard to our
:12:43. > :12:45.flourishing tourism trade but also bike pointing to the plethora of
:12:45. > :12:53.other businesses spreading across our islands. It is not for profit.
:12:53. > :12:58.It is also not for real. But who can I deliver my sales pitch to? I spent
:12:58. > :13:05.months studying MPs and peers who have extensive links to lobbyists or
:13:05. > :13:07.consultancy interests. We rang seven. It is Daniel Mann, you may be
:13:07. > :13:12.expecting a call. A member of the House of Lords says he is interested
:13:12. > :13:17.but then goes away on a trip. A strategic communications company.
:13:17. > :13:21.One MP asks his researcher to follow up our enquiry. An organisation
:13:21. > :13:30.called the Society of Friends of Fiji. Another MP hangs up after 15
:13:30. > :13:35.seconds because he too busy to listen goodbye. But one MP does take
:13:35. > :13:42.my call. Could I speak to Patrick Mercer please? Who is that, please?
:13:42. > :13:46.My main aim is Daniel Mann, calling from Alistair Andrews. It is Patrick
:13:46. > :13:53.Mercer speaking. How can I help? Patrick Mercer is the Conservative
:13:53. > :13:56.MP for Newark. I put to the idea of him -- I put him the idea of setting
:13:56. > :14:00.up an all-party parliamentary group on behalf of the Society of Friends
:14:00. > :14:03.of Fiji. One of the things we are keen to do is to set up an all-party
:14:03. > :14:09.parliamentary group of Fiji, there is not won at the moment. He agrees
:14:09. > :14:15.to meet me but not in his office. can meet and talk, if we may full
:14:15. > :14:18.stop it is probably better, if you appreciate there is any commercial
:14:18. > :14:28.evidence, there will be, then we must not meet on Parliamentary
:14:28. > :14:31.
:14:31. > :14:37.accepted my story. I decide to find out a bit more about him. We have
:14:37. > :14:43.seen several different groups operating in this country. I found
:14:43. > :14:48.footage of him at Sandhurst from an old Panorama. People outside this
:14:49. > :14:53.country will be glad to see insurgency breaking out. It is the
:14:53. > :14:58.start of a glittering military career for the young officer. Mr
:14:58. > :15:04.Mercer marched in step 425 years, serving nine tours of Northern and
:15:04. > :15:08.another in Bosnia. The highly decorated colonel left the parade
:15:08. > :15:18.ground for politics, becoming the MP for Newark, a predominantly rural
:15:18. > :15:18.
:15:19. > :15:25.seat in the East Midlands. Patrick Mercer was first elected in 2001. He
:15:25. > :15:32.has been re-elected twice since. What do you do? Nothing.Why aren't
:15:32. > :15:36.you in the Army? Ack in London, Mr Mercer wants to meet me. I am
:15:36. > :15:41.testing the secret camera on my way to the room I have hired especially,
:15:41. > :15:45.just around the corner from the House of Commons. St James's Park,
:15:45. > :15:53.on the left. I have just gone past the Foreign Office. That is the
:15:53. > :16:03.Treasury, on my left. Just to the right is the back of our office. I
:16:03. > :16:16.
:16:16. > :16:20.am ready for my first meeting with pitch to the MP for Newark. I
:16:20. > :16:24.explain just how badly Fiji has been affected by its suspension from the
:16:24. > :16:34.Commonwealth. I don't know how much homework you
:16:34. > :17:13.
:17:13. > :17:23.managed to do, but the economy is is no expert. But that does not
:17:23. > :17:31.
:17:31. > :17:35.my approach with caution. The rules say MPs can take on paid
:17:35. > :17:42.consultancy, as long as they are not being paid for the work they do as
:17:42. > :17:49.an elected member. I think members of Parliament should have outside
:17:49. > :17:56.interests. But they need to be very careful that they do not cross the
:17:56. > :18:00.line between what they should be doing as a member of Parliament and
:18:00. > :18:05.what they are doing to gain some extra income. While he has admitted
:18:05. > :18:15.knowing very little about Fiji, Mr Mercer is quick to come up with
:18:15. > :18:23.
:18:24. > :18:32.reasons why he might be useful to my Fiji, is a sugar producer. It is
:18:32. > :18:42.home to a British Sugar factory. As Fiji is a rival sugar producer, Mr
:18:42. > :18:59.
:18:59. > :19:09.Mercer can see why his constituents potential conflict of interests. But
:19:09. > :19:09.
:19:09. > :19:14.he is trying to find a solution. is helpful for me to have a foot
:19:14. > :19:17.in... Not the enemy camp, but my competitor's camp, outside the
:19:18. > :19:21.constituency. From my point of view, I am interested to see what sugar
:19:21. > :19:25.production is like in Fiji. Directly, it is unhelpful to my
:19:25. > :19:29.constituency. It doesn't mean I will be objective to it, I would prefer
:19:30. > :19:35.to see it flourish in a controlled way. He thinks there is another
:19:35. > :19:45.reason why he might be an appropriate person to advise my
:19:45. > :19:45.
:19:45. > :20:38.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:20:38. > :20:41.reference to G1 problems was to do with Fijian soldier's discipline
:20:41. > :20:51.problems, which he was interested in exploring, and not personality
:20:51. > :20:54.
:20:54. > :20:58.making ill judged remarks. Six years ago he caused a storm when he told a
:20:58. > :21:05.newspaper he had come across a lot of ethnic minority soldiers who were
:21:05. > :21:10.idle and useless. I was shocked when I read the remarks of Patrick
:21:10. > :21:15.Mercer. Racism is completely unacceptable. An apology was not
:21:15. > :21:21.enough to save his frontbench job as David Cameron's security spokesman.
:21:21. > :21:24.If I have caused such offence, if I have caused concern amongst those
:21:24. > :21:29.who I commanded, in any way, I regret that. That is why I have
:21:29. > :21:39.resigned. Yet it seems that he has learned little in the years since
:21:39. > :22:06.
:22:06. > :22:10.industry in Newark, along with his background, to justify me hiring him
:22:10. > :22:14.as a consultant. But if he takes the job, she risks breaking the rules.
:22:14. > :22:19.He is forbidden for taking money for what would be his normal
:22:19. > :22:24.Parliamentary duties. After our first call, he said he would do some
:22:24. > :22:27.research. A couple of clicks on the internet and he could have
:22:27. > :22:33.discovered some disturbing material from Fiji. That is all it takes for
:22:33. > :22:38.me to find what looks like a torture video. It shows the Fijian police
:22:38. > :22:48.attacking two escaped prisoners they have recaptured. The beatings last
:22:48. > :23:09.
:23:09. > :23:19.for several minutes. Their dogs join he seems very interested in our
:23:19. > :23:19.
:23:19. > :24:17.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:24:17. > :24:22.be paid directly or indirectly for tabling questions, putting down
:24:22. > :24:32.motions, speaking in debates or for approaching ministers and civil
:24:32. > :24:33.
:24:33. > :24:43.rules. Yet he tells me he can arrange a debate in Parliament about
:24:43. > :25:10.
:25:10. > :25:13.the return of Fiji to the under the contract should not be
:25:13. > :25:23.linked to his work in Parliament, although I have not actually asked
:25:23. > :25:53.
:25:53. > :26:03.start up and all party Parliamentary group to promote Fijian business
:26:03. > :26:03.
:26:03. > :27:21.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:27:21. > :27:25.to happen. I'm talking about lobbying. It seems it might only
:27:25. > :27:31.take one MP to get my fake firm up and running at Westminster. Two at
:27:31. > :27:39.the next X candle... Waiting to happen... Waiting to happen. -- big
:27:39. > :27:42.scandal. But will he really be able to deliver on his promises? The
:27:42. > :27:49.coalition pledged a law to increase transparency and show who is
:27:49. > :27:54.lobbying whom. They failed to introduce it and calls for
:27:54. > :28:02.regulation have not gone away. Personally, I have been in favour of
:28:02. > :28:04.a statutory register for a long time. I cannot understand why the
:28:04. > :28:11.Cabinet Office seems to be completely paralysed in that
:28:11. > :28:16.respect. A register would have applied to anyone lobbying the House
:28:17. > :28:23.of Lords, as well as the Commons. There are plenty of lobbyists about.
:28:23. > :28:27.This man, Lord Laird, has been in public relations for decades. He has
:28:27. > :28:34.a vast insight into how administration 's work. For years,
:28:34. > :28:39.this former Northern Ireland MP has had a foot in both camps and knows
:28:39. > :28:45.his stuff. This is one man that he won shouting from your corner.
:28:46. > :28:50.has lobbied in the US and Europe. One course he has been shouting up
:28:50. > :28:57.for in the House of Lords caught my eye. The oil-rich former Soviet
:28:57. > :29:02.republic of Azerbaijan. Last year, Panorama investigated its appalling
:29:02. > :29:12.record on human rights abuses and vote rigging. Lord Laird is a big
:29:12. > :29:20.
:29:20. > :29:24.met our MP for the same time. -- first time. Since 2010, peers have
:29:24. > :29:34.been banned for being paid for any form of parliamentary advice or
:29:34. > :30:09.
:30:09. > :30:13.to his client list. He offers advice on how we might further our
:30:13. > :30:23.fictional Fijian client's interests. His rate of pay? The same as Mr
:30:23. > :30:31.
:30:31. > :30:41.did, that he would be taking the money for consultancy work and not
:30:41. > :31:19.
:31:19. > :31:24.for parliamentary lobbying on our nothing improper and has never
:31:24. > :31:31.contravened the House of Lords' Code of Conduct. Mr Deputy Speaker, this
:31:31. > :31:34.is a budget for people who aspire to work hard and get on. It is budget
:31:34. > :31:44.day in Westminster, but Patrick Mercer has other financial matters
:31:44. > :31:50.
:31:50. > :31:54.on his mind. Feeling his deal with commend it to the House. Within an
:31:54. > :32:00.hour of the Chancellor sitting down, Patrick Mercer arrives to sign a
:32:00. > :32:06.contract which could add �24,000 a year to his �66,000 salary as an MP.
:32:06. > :32:10.It seems it is not just the rain that is bothering. He is less
:32:10. > :32:20.relaxed today. The MP is concerned that what we are doing will attract
:32:20. > :32:37.
:32:37. > :32:47.unwelcome scrutiny from political to sign on the dotted line, but
:32:47. > :33:17.
:33:17. > :33:22.wants to avoid potential criticism lodge with the Parliamentary
:33:22. > :33:26.authorities a copy of all contracts which depend on their role as an MP.
:33:26. > :33:31.While crossing out Fiji, Mr Mercer tells me he is not going to hand in
:33:31. > :33:35.a copy anyway. Instead, it seems to me he is rehearsing a new
:33:35. > :33:45.justification for working with my firm. He is now simply fascinated by
:33:45. > :33:45.
:33:45. > :34:30.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:34:30. > :34:40.on with the job. To get an all-party group up and running, he needs the
:34:40. > :34:54.
:34:54. > :34:59.agreement of 20 parliamentarians, motion, calling for Fiji's
:34:59. > :35:04.suspension from the Commonwealth to be listed. Will Mr Mercer submitted
:35:04. > :35:14.in his name? However he justifies it, doing this will be a flagrant
:35:14. > :35:36.
:35:36. > :35:42.sound obscure but it is a daily part of parliamentary life. Once
:35:42. > :35:46.submitted, other MPs can sign up if they agree with its aims. EDMs allow
:35:46. > :35:56.MPs to bring pressure on ministers and can even spark a full debate in
:35:56. > :36:04.
:36:04. > :36:08.Patrick Mercer and he has promised that the Early Day Motion, which I
:36:08. > :36:15.dictated to him, will be up on the web now so let's have a look and see
:36:15. > :36:19.if it is up today. There we are, look. Fiji and the Commonwealth, EDM
:36:19. > :36:23.number 100 and 49, that will be ours. Patrick Mercer is the primary
:36:23. > :36:27.sponsor. He has already got someone else to sign it and it looks pretty
:36:27. > :36:30.much exactly like what we dictated to him, that this House recognises
:36:30. > :36:35.that the government of Fiji is making all reasonable efforts to
:36:35. > :36:40.restore democracy. We wrote that this house recognises that the
:36:40. > :36:46.governance of Fiji is -- kick Wash is making all reasonable efforts to
:36:46. > :36:50.restore democracy. Our draft was 63 words long, so how many changes?
:36:50. > :36:53.Just four tiny tweaks. One of the fundamental rules of parliament is
:36:53. > :37:03.that members declare their relevant financial interests. From the
:37:03. > :37:14.
:37:14. > :37:19.outset, Patrick Mercer said he interests in relation to Early Day
:37:19. > :37:24.Motions could not be clearer. All signatories must declare their
:37:24. > :37:31.interests when they sign. Mr Mercer has not made a declaration next to
:37:31. > :37:34.his name to indicate that he has an interest in Fiji. It is the next big
:37:34. > :37:40.scandal waiting to happen. I am talking about lobbying, waiting to
:37:41. > :37:44.happen. Waiting to happen... Putting down an Early Day Motion way you
:37:44. > :37:51.have not declared the interests that you have got a financial interest in
:37:51. > :37:55.this matter is totally undermining Parliamentary democracy, because
:37:55. > :38:00.people who are looking at that Early Day Motion and might be influenced
:38:00. > :38:06.by it, they don't know that your -- that you are actually pursuing a
:38:06. > :38:12.particular interest. By not declaring his financial links to my
:38:12. > :38:22.Fijian client, Mr Mercer broke an important rule governing MPs. And
:38:22. > :38:23.
:38:23. > :38:28.misled those who signed his motion. I have seen it, it looks fantastic,
:38:28. > :38:33.it is great. I need your bank details, if you could e-mail them to
:38:33. > :38:37.me. So far, our initial �2000 is buying me an increasing amount of
:38:37. > :38:41.access, quite literally. He has agreed to give us a Parliamentary
:38:41. > :38:50.pass that would allow unescorted asp -- access to the Palace of
:38:50. > :38:55.Westminster. Are you saying that the path, we can't wed get one of the
:38:55. > :38:59.APPG itself but you can give us one out of Europe -- out of your
:38:59. > :39:06.personal allocation, is that right? I look forward to that, have a nice
:39:06. > :39:16.Easter. So would Lord Laird be as helpful? Can he raise issues in the
:39:16. > :39:38.
:39:38. > :39:41.House of Lords on behalf of my us. I passed this eye-catching
:39:41. > :39:47.poster most days. This campaign is funded by an Azerbaijani group that
:39:47. > :39:52.also pays Lord Laird chair of its advisory board. He properly declares
:39:52. > :39:56.this interest whenever he speaks about Azerbaijan in the Lords. So
:39:56. > :40:06.will he be as transparent when he talks me through how I might set up
:40:06. > :40:06.
:40:06. > :40:53.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:40:53. > :41:03.an all-party parliamentary group for to join. Fiji's reputation as an
:41:03. > :41:29.
:41:29. > :41:34.island paradise has not escaped his to nothing improper and has never
:41:34. > :41:39.contravened the House of Lords Code of Conduct. Our MP, Patrick Mercer,
:41:39. > :41:46.can also see the attractions of Fiji. As he never wants to meet in
:41:46. > :41:56.Parliament, we are in a nearby hotel instead. It is the first time we
:41:56. > :42:00.
:42:00. > :42:10.have met since he submitted our which owns a thumbs up from Mr
:42:10. > :42:48.
:42:48. > :42:57.plans to start the Fiji APPG. And he interest in the group would be good
:42:57. > :43:03.because he is gloomy about his own party's prospects. He reportedly
:43:03. > :43:05.once said that David Cameron was asked and most despicable creature,
:43:05. > :43:15.without any redeeming features and today, he is making some political
:43:15. > :43:41.
:43:41. > :43:46.Society of Friends of Fiji can get a report published about ending their
:43:46. > :43:52.country's suspension from the pop -- from the Commonwealth. APPG reports
:43:52. > :43:57.circulated around Westminster and can be influential. He has wasted no
:43:57. > :44:03.time getting ours started. He has given me this quite detailed
:44:03. > :44:06.breakdown of how the report that our APPG is going to be issuing will pan
:44:06. > :44:10.out and will encompass, even a list of the witnesses that will be called
:44:10. > :44:13.in to give evidence. People such as Hugo Swire, the Foreign Office
:44:13. > :44:23.Minister, and the Fijian High Commissioner, various
:44:23. > :44:27.
:44:27. > :44:31.representatives of the United process to develop.
:44:31. > :44:41.Can I take it as read that this will conclude something favourable in
:44:41. > :44:47.
:44:47. > :44:52.terms of the client, in that they been in operation for only a matter
:44:52. > :44:57.of weeks. For a relatively small sum, we have a gun to get to the
:44:57. > :45:01.heart of Westminster. -- begun to get to the heart of Westminster. The
:45:01. > :45:11.MP intends to take our client's campaign to the Foreign &
:45:11. > :45:11.
:45:11. > :45:59.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:45:59. > :46:07.work on the report, which would have cost my client �28,000. Its author
:46:07. > :46:11.made clear the report would be objective and follow best practice.
:46:11. > :46:13.In Her Majesty 's name, to prorogue this present Parliament...
:46:14. > :46:20.culmination of my relationship with Mr Mercer comes on the day that
:46:20. > :46:22.Parliament breaks up ahead the Queen's Speech. It is also the day
:46:22. > :46:32.that my own attempts to circumvent the Parliamentary processes will
:46:32. > :46:37.
:46:37. > :46:41.brought along a friend. She is going to be the secretary of the new Fiji
:46:41. > :46:51.APPG. I am hoping she will get the Parliamentary powers that Patrick
:46:51. > :47:06.
:47:06. > :47:16.Mercer has already agreed to going to take some time to organise
:47:16. > :47:18.
:47:18. > :47:23.a pass. And time is running out for Normally, hardly anybody visits my
:47:23. > :47:29.fake company website. I know, because I can tell the number of
:47:29. > :47:34.hits it receives. I can also tell where they are coming from. But,
:47:34. > :47:44.recently, somebody has been clicking on my site. Once I am left alone
:47:44. > :47:55.
:47:55. > :48:05.with Patrick Mercer, it becomes a dozen phone calls, Patrick Mercer
:48:05. > :48:18.
:48:18. > :48:22.is finally asking me the right suddenly interrogating me? It seems
:48:22. > :48:32.a Parliamentary colleague has warned him that I may not be who I say I
:48:32. > :48:32.
:48:32. > :49:22.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:49:22. > :49:32.this investigation is about to leave my small office in Westminster,
:49:32. > :49:34.
:49:34. > :49:37.becoming a full-blown lobbying questions scandal, nearly 20 years
:49:37. > :49:47.ago, which prompted the most far-reaching political inquiry so
:49:47. > :49:51.
:49:51. > :49:56.investigating standards in public life... Standards of Parliament
:49:56. > :50:03.conduct demand public confidence. If they do not, nothing much can go
:50:03. > :50:07.right. Lord Nolan's seven principles of public life remain at the heart
:50:07. > :50:14.of Parliament's codes of conduct. But when I approached Lord Laird, he
:50:14. > :50:17.suggested he could get questions raised in the Lords. And, as he
:50:17. > :50:27.would be receiving money from my fake company, he would have to do
:50:27. > :51:02.
:51:02. > :51:06.happen... Patrick Mercer is still willing to do business with me,
:51:06. > :51:13.remarkable, given his suspicions. It seems, in return for our �2000
:51:13. > :51:20.monthly fee, he is ready to submit questions. I drafted one on behalf
:51:20. > :51:26.of the Society of Friends of Fiji, to give to the MP. Fiji's suspension
:51:26. > :51:32.from the Commonwealth, which is proving detrimental... I had already
:51:33. > :51:42.raised with him the possibility of submitting questions. Is there any
:51:43. > :51:43.
:51:43. > :52:31.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:52:31. > :52:34.back what looks like 15 years, to the cash for questions sort of
:52:34. > :52:38.situation. I am just surprised that a member of Parliament can act in
:52:38. > :52:46.this way, even the context we have had over the expenses scandal, the
:52:46. > :52:53.changes in rules, that he can put such a coach and horses through
:52:53. > :52:55.those rules in such a casual way. Mercer was as good as his word, and
:52:55. > :53:01.tabled five questions that later appeared on the official
:53:01. > :53:07.Parliamentary website. Three days after he sent in the questions, I
:53:07. > :53:11.paid him another �2000, bringing his total income from the �4000. Our
:53:11. > :53:20.questions were to ask the Foreign Secretary what discussions his
:53:20. > :53:23.department had with the Government of Fiji about the status of Fiji in
:53:23. > :53:28.the Commonwealth, about the effects of its suspension from the
:53:28. > :53:37.Commonwealth and his policy on the readmission of Fiji to the
:53:37. > :53:41.Commonwealth. And if he will make a statement. As well as blatantly
:53:41. > :53:45.breaching the rules by tabling questions for money, Mr Mercer also
:53:45. > :53:50.failed to declare his financial interest when he submitted them.
:53:50. > :53:53.And, in an equally serious violation of the code of conduct, there is no
:53:53. > :54:01.sign on the published register of interests of the �4000 I paid him,
:54:01. > :54:05.or even a mention of Fiji. Government's legislative programme
:54:05. > :54:10.will continue to focus on building a stronger economy... This year's
:54:10. > :54:15.Queen's speech, the latest opportunity for David Cameron to
:54:15. > :54:25.bring in laws to registered lobbyists. But he didn't. A short
:54:25. > :54:27.
:54:27. > :54:32.speech and another opportunity missed. My time with Patrick Mercer
:54:32. > :54:42.MP was coming to an end. As we said goodbye on the steps of my office,
:54:42. > :55:14.
:55:14. > :55:19.he was comfortable enough to share a habits die hard. He later said his
:55:19. > :55:26.remarks regarding the Israeli soldier had been misheard. I spoke
:55:26. > :55:31.to him one more time. The APPG I had set out to form months before was
:55:31. > :55:41.actually going ahead. He had got around 20 unsuspecting MPs to agree
:55:41. > :55:59.
:55:59. > :56:03.since said he started the Fiji APPG because of his genuine and
:56:03. > :56:06.legitimate interest in the re-entry of Fiji to the Commonwealth.
:56:06. > :56:11.Conservative MP resigns from the Parliamentary party, he is accused
:56:11. > :56:18.of taking cash for questions. our investigation was made public,
:56:18. > :56:27.weeks later, Patrick Mercer... is a generous offer. And Lord
:56:27. > :56:34.Laird... If they want a APPG, they can have one with a bow on it.
:56:34. > :56:41.quit their parties. For the moment, Mr Mercer will remain a member of
:56:41. > :56:46.Parliament, although he will be standing down at the next election.
:56:46. > :56:53.Ultimately, Westminster should have tighter rules. The biggest sanction
:56:53. > :56:56.would be the electorate being able to sack them and elect a new MP.
:56:56. > :57:02.activities of two at the Labour peers have also been exposed by the
:57:02. > :57:05.Sunday Times. Both deny any wrongdoing. All four
:57:05. > :57:09.parliamentarians caught up in the new sleaze allegations referred
:57:09. > :57:14.themselves to the Parliamentary Commissioners for standards. The
:57:14. > :57:18.Speaker announced he is suspending 80 Parliamentary passes connected
:57:18. > :57:21.with all-party groups. In a sudden about turn, the Government announced
:57:21. > :57:27.that it would, after all, bring forward a bill to create a statutory
:57:27. > :57:33.register of lobbyists is as early as next month. But calls still remain
:57:33. > :57:37.for further sanctions against those who break Parliamentary rules.
:57:37. > :57:40.our House of Commons, our democracy. Look at the House of Commons. It
:57:40. > :57:45.belongs to others, the people. And yet various parasitical corporate
:57:45. > :57:49.interests have managed to weasel their way in there. Two it really
:57:49. > :57:54.shows there is going to have to be another root and branch examination
:57:54. > :58:04.of how we can gain ethical standards of the highest order from members of
:58:04. > :58:08.
:58:08. > :58:15.Fiji were answered within days. A Foreign Office minister replied, it
:58:15. > :58:21.is not great news for my fictitious client. The Government is still
:58:21. > :58:24.concerned about the human rights abuses in Fiji. So, what seems