Revealed: one in five peers advise private business while serving in parliamentOne in five members of the House of Lords are working as consultants or advisers to private businesses at the same time as serving in parliament, the Guardian can reveal. Peers are permitted to work as advisers for private interests, as long as they are properly declared. Fifteen peers are working for or advising foreign governments, including a former coalition government cabinet minister and a former chief of defence staff. Transparency International UK’s policy director, Duncan Hames, said peers’ work for outside parties created a risk of conflict of interest. That initial refusal to respond exposes a gap in the framework governing peers’ interests.

Source: The Guardian May 31, 2019 16:00 UTC