Huhne calls for O’Neill police probe

Liberal Democrat MP Chris Huhne is calling for a police investigation in to four more peers, including Specialist Engineering Contractors’ Group president Lord O’Neill.

Following reports in the national press at the weeked, the party claims that Lord O'Neill, Lord Berkeley, Baroness Valentine and Baroness Coussins may have broken laws. All four deny any wrongdoing and say they declared their interests properly.

Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said he was writing to the police to ask them to investigate the activities of four further peers named in the Sunday Times.

As previously reported in EMC (see link below), Labour peer Lord O'Neill of Clackmannan tabled amendments to a bill on the construction industry. He later withdrew them to avoid any suggestion of a conflict of interest.

Chris Huhne said: "These extra four peers appear to be in the same category where, if press allegations are correct, they respectively tabled amendments serving the interests of organisations paying them such as the Specialist Engineering Contractors' Group."

He also called for the House of Lords to be fully elected from the next general election - which will take place in May 2010 at the latest.

"The way in which the House of Lords has been brought into disrepute by allegations of cash for amendments makes an elected chamber urgent. Voters must be able to hold lawmakers to account," Huhne said.

"With a light parliamentary agenda this year, we should legislate now and elect the Lords for the first time at the general election."