Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is an officer of the British House of Commons. He or she is appointed by a Resolution of the House of Commons and works a four-day week.
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[edit] Tasks
The Commissioner is in charge of regulating MPs' conduct and propriety. One of the Commissioner's main tasks is overseeing the Register of Members' Interests, which is intended to ensure disclosure of financial interests that may be of relevance to MPs' work.
[edit] History
The post was established in 1995 with Sir Gordon Downey as the first Commissioner, serving the newly formed Committee for Standards and Privileges. He investigated the Cash-for-questions affair.
The second Commissioner was Elizabeth Filkin (1999-2002), whose first case involved Peter Mandelson and a large loan which he had failed to declare in the Register of Members' Interests.[1] Her departure was controversial, with many claiming she was forced out for investigating high-profile MPs too closely.[2]
The next Commissioner was Sir Philip Mawer. MPs he investigated include George Galloway and Derek Conway. Unlike his predecessor he was appointed to a second term, but he took up a new post at the beginning of 2008 as an independent adviser on Ministerial standards to Gordon Brown and resigned as Commissioner earlier than expected.[3]
The current Commissioner, John Lyon CB, commenced his appointment on 1 January 2008. In an article about his questioning by the parliamentary enquiry into MPs' expenses, Private Eye described him as 'feeble' and an 'establishment stooge'.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Dillon, Jo (17 February 2002). "Elizabeth Filkin: the 'Witch' puts away her broomstick". The Independent (London). http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/elizabeth-filkin-the-witch-puts-away-her-broomstick-751030.html.
- ^ Oborne, Peter (3 September 2007). "Hounding of a decent woman". Daily Mail (London). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-479751/Hounding-decent-woman-Labours-brutal-campaign-destroy-ethics-watchdog-Elizabeth-Filkin.html.
- ^ Irvine, Chris (10 June 2009). "Sir Philip Mawer Profile". Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5488601/Sir-Philip-Mawer-profile.html.
- ^ "Called to Ordure". Private Eye: 1241. 6 August 2009.
[edit] External links
- Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards: official website
- Register of Members' Interests
- Josh Chafetz, "Cleaning House: Congressional Commissioners for Standards," Yale Law Journal, vol. 117, no. 1, pp. 165-73
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