MP 'offered fake firm Commons pass'
By Anonymous on Jun 01, 2013 03:14 am 1 June 2013 Last updated at 08:14 
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.
Secret filming shows Patrick Mercer signing a contract with the fake lobbying company set up by BBC Panorama
MP Patrick Mercer agreed to offer a Commons security pass to a fake firm that paid him £4,000 to table parliamentary questions, the Daily Telegraph has alleged.
The claim emerged after he resigned the Tory whip over BBC Panorama allegations that he broke Commons lobbying rules.
The Newark MP said he was taking legal advice and had referred himself to Parliament's standards commissioner.
He said he took the money for consultancy work outside Parliament.
On Thursday, Panorama will air allegations from a joint investigation with the Telegraph - but some of the details were made public on Friday.
Panorama said Mr Mercer had been approached by a fake company set up by the programme, in conjunction with the newspaper.
The fake company, Alistair Andrews Communications, had claimed to lobby on behalf of Fijian business interests for Fiji to be readmitted to the Commonwealth.
The country's membership was suspended in 2009 amid criticism of its human rights' record and lack of democracy.
A clip of Mr Mercer being filmed undercover has been released by Panorama. It shows the MP meeting with an undercover reporter, who was posing as a representative of the fake company.
Mr Mercer can be heard saying: "I do not charge a great deal of money for these things. I would normally come out at £500 per half day, so £1,000 a day."
The undercover reporter replies: "OK, fine."
Panorama said it had paid Mr Mercer £4,000 for working two days a month at a rate of £2,000 per month, but that the money had yet to be declared to the parliamentary authorities.
Further allegations were published in the Telegraph on Saturday, including that Mr Mercer agreed to offer a security pass for a "representative" of the fictional Fijian client to provide access to Parliament.
The paper reports that Mr Mercer offered to set up an all-party parliamentary group (APPG) of politicians to consider issues around Fiji.
It goes on to say that, in secretly-recorded conversations, Mr Mercer admitted APPGs could be "utterly useless".
He reportedly said that, "frankly, they can be a way of getting passes for people to get into Parliament".
That was because, when APPGs were set up, "there's one functionary who gets access to an APPG parliamentary pass", he reportedly added.
'Save embarrassment' In a statement, Panorama said: "Patrick Mercer MP said he agreed to be a consultant for work he said was outside parliament.
"But he submitted five parliamentary questions, which were all answered, as well as an early day motion - all in relation to Fiji."
Continue reading the main story Patrick Mercer Biography
- Born in 1956, the son of an Anglican clergyman who went on to become the Bishop of Exeter
- Studied modern history at Oxford University and attended the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst
- Spent 25 years as an army officer, serving in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Uganda and other countries, before working as a journalist
- Elected as MP for Newark in 2001
- Served as shadow minister for homeland security under Iain Duncan Smith, Michael Howard and David Cameron, before Mr Cameron fired him in 2007 after a row over alleged racist comments
- He is married with one son and lives just outside Newark
Under parliamentary rules, politicians are required to declare publicly money that they receive beyond their parliamentary salary, but some paid work should not be undertaken at all.
For example, MPs should not be paid "to ask a parliamentary question, table a motion, introduce a bill, table an amendment to a motion or a bill, or urge colleagues or ministers to do so".
Peter Facey, director of the campaign group Unlock Democracy, told BBC Breakfast: "The borderline here is - if you've actually gone and then asked a question, or tabled amendments, or set up an all-party group, where does your financial interest stop and your public interest start?
"And here it's very difficult to tell what the difference is between him being a consultant and him being a lobbyist."
In a statement, Mr Mercer said: "Panorama are planning to broadcast a programme alleging that I have broken parliamentary rules.
"I am taking legal advice about these allegations - and I have referred myself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.
"In the meantime, to save my party embarrassment, I have resigned the Conservative whip and have so informed [Conservative Chief Whip] Sir George Young.
"I have also decided not to stand at the next general election."
MPs who resign the whip can continue to sit in the Commons as independents but are no longer members of the parliamentary party.
A Conservative spokesman said the prime minister was aware of the allegations and thought Mr Mercer had "done the right thing in referring himself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and resigning the whip".
Continue reading the main story Parliamentary rules on lobbying
- All MPs are subject to a Code of Conduct
- According to the code they have to register their financial interests, including remunerated employment outside parliament
- They are allowed to work as a consultants or be paid for advice
- However, MPs are forbidden from acting as a "paid advocate"
- A paid advocate is defined as someone taking "payment for speaking in the House"
- It also covers receiving payment for asking a parliamentary question, tabling a motion, introducing a bill or tabling or moving an amendment to a motion or bill or urging colleagues or ministers to do so
"It's important that the due processes take their course," the spokesman said.
Mr Facey said: "If you're being paid to give your advice on how to change the law, it has to be wrong - there's a huge conflict of interest."
Parliamentary records show that in March, Mr Mercer put down an early day motion - used by MPs to draw attention to issues - saying Fiji was making efforts to restore democracy and there was no justification for its continued suspension from the Commonwealth.
He also asked five questions in Parliament about Fiji's human rights record, UK investment in its public transport and the effects of its suspension from, and government policy on, its readmission to the Commonwealth.
All the questions were answered by Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire.
The coalition government is committed to setting up a statutory register of lobbyists - companies that seek to influence government policy, often by paying current and former MPs for advice and guidance.
Panorama will be shown on BBC One at 21:00 BST on Thursday.
Read in browser » 
New Oklahoma tornadoes 'kill five'
By Anonymous on Jun 01, 2013 03:36 am 1 June 2013 Last updated at 01:11 ET 
A new series of tornadoes has swept through the US state of Oklahoma, killing at least five people and injuring dozens, officials say.
The tornadoes struck near the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, where 24 people were killed by a violent tornado nearly two weeks ago.
The latest storm struck during Friday's evening rush hour, trapping many people in cars.
More than 60,000 homes lost power and heavy rain has caused severe flooding.
Read in browser » Turkey protests enter second day
By Anonymous on Jun 01, 2013 03:51 am 1 June 2013 Last updated at 01:07 ET 
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.
Protesters clash with police at Istanbul park demonstration
Turkey is braced for a second day of protests after clashes between police and demonstrators left dozens of people injured in Istanbul on Friday.
Police have been drafted in from other provinces, parts of Istanbul are cordoned off and traffic is stationery.
The protest began as a sit-in rally over plans to redevelop a square in Istanbul, but escalated and became violent after police used tear gas.
The unrest reportedly spread as far as Ankara, Bodrum, Konya and Izmir.
Reports say hundreds of people have marched across Istanbul's Bosphorus Bridge on Saturday morning in support of the anti-government protesters.
The BBC's Louise Greenwood in Istanbul says police from as far afield as Antalya are being drafted in to help quell the violence.
She says the central Taksim district and surrounding areas remain cordoned off and the city's famous bridges are closed for traffic.
Istanbul's governor said a dozen people were admitted to hospital and more than 60 people detained after Friday's clashes, which continued into the night.
In Ankara, protesters staged what they described as a solidarity rally, with many participants chanting: "Everywhere is resistance, everywhere is Taksim!"
The US has expressed concern over Turkey's handling of the protests and Amnesty International condemned the police's tactics.
Continue reading the main story Analysis
Jody Sabral BBC News
A four-day sit-in against government plans to revamp a popular park in the city's main shopping district gathered support when word spread on social media.
The regeneration project has disrupted live for months now and is already running behind schedule. Istanbul residents are tired of the disruption to their daily lives.
The protests have the potential to grow as new restrictions on alcohol sales and attacks on freedom of speech have secular Turks saying that their civil liberties are under threat. This latest crackdown will only confirm their suspicions that Prime Minister Erdogan's Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party are implementing a conservative agenda.
Witnesses said tear gas was deployed randomly on people who were "by and large protesting peacefully".
'Creeping Islamisation' Demonstrators gathered in the park to contest the controversial redevelopment project aimed at easing congestion around Taksim Square, which involved uprooting trees.
Opponents of Prime Minister Recep Erdogan's plans say the park is one of the few green areas left in central Istanbul.
Correspondents say the issue has helped highlight unhappiness among young people towards the government and ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party over what they see as creeping Islamisation.
Last week, Turkey's parliament approved legislation restricting the sale and consumption of alcoholic drinks between 22:00 and 06:00.
The prime minister's AK Party has its roots in political Islam, but he says he is committed to Turkey's state secularism.
Mr Erdogan has been in power since 2002 and some in Turkey have complained that his government is becoming increasingly authoritarian.
Earlier this month, riot police clashed with tens of thousands of people attempting to hold a May Day march in Istanbul.
Protesters opposed to the redevelopment had camped out in Gezi Park for four days
Prime Minister Erdogan has vowed to carry out the redevelopment
Police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters
There were also protests in the capital Ankara, where police used pepper spray on some demonstrators.
Read in browser » Georgia murder suspect due in court
By Anonymous on May 31, 2013 09:17 pm 31 May 2013 Last updated at 21:17 ET 
Georgia Williams was last seen on Sunday night
A man is due to appear in court later charged with the murder of teenager Georgia Williams.
Seventeen-year-old student Georgia, from Wellington, Shropshire, was last seen in the town on Sunday evening.
Jamie Reynolds, 22, also from the town, who was arrested in Glasgow on Tuesday, has been charged with murder and is due before Telford magistrates.
Police search teams found a girl's body in woodland near Wrexham on Friday. The girl has not been formally identified.
The body was found at about 14:00 BST in woodland off the Nant-y-Garth pass in north Wales.
Supt Nav Malik, from West Mercia Police, said: "During our enquiries, sadly, late [Thursday] afternoon new evidence came to light that proved Georgia was deceased and that she died at an address in Wellington.
"For obvious legal reasons, particularly to ensure that future court proceedings are not jeopardised, we are not able to reveal further information about this evidence at this time."
He said the discovery of a body related to their investigation into the teenager's disappearance.
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.
Supt Nav Malik: "The body of a young female has been found in woodland"
Georgia is the daughter of a West Mercia Police detective constable.
Supt Malik added: "Georgia's family have been kept fully informed of all the recent developments and this has only added to the devastation they are feeling about this week's events.
"We are totally committed to every investigation we launch but dealing with events that directly affect a colleague and fellow member of the policing family - especially one that many of us know so well - is unusual and has proved extremely tough and emotional for everyone."
Read in browser » Huge asteroid flies past Earth
By Anonymous on May 31, 2013 06:35 pm 31 May 2013 Last updated at 13:05 ET By Rebecca Morelle Science reporter, BBC World Service 
At its closest, the asteroid will pass within a distance of about 6 million kilometres
An asteroid that measures nearly 2.7km (1.7 miles) across is set to fly past the Earth.
The space rock, which is called 1998 QE2, is so large that it is orbited by its own moon.
It will make its closest approach to our planet at 20:59 GMT (21:59 BST), but scientists say there is no chance that it will hit.
Instead it will keep a safe distance - at closest, about 5.8 million km (3.6 million mi).
That is about 200 times more distant than the asteroid "near-miss" that occurred in February - but Friday's passing space rock is more than 50,000 times larger.
Prof Alan Fitzsimmons, an astronomer at Queen's University Belfast, said: "It's a big one. And there are very few of these objects known - there are probably only about 600 or so of this size or larger in near-Earth space.
"And importantly, if something this size did hit us one day in the future, it is extremely likely it would cause global environmental devastation, so it is important to try and understand these objects."
Dark visitor This fly-by will give astronomers the chance to study the rocky mass in detail.
Using radar telescopes, they will record a series of high-resolution images.
They want to find out what it is made of, and exactly where in the Solar System it came from.
Prof Fitzsimmons said: "We already know from the radar measurements, coupled with its brightness, that it appears to be a relatively dark asteroid - that it's come from the outer part of the asteroid belt."
Early analysis has already revealed that the asteroid has its own moon: it is being orbited by another smaller piece of rock that is about 600m (2000ft) across.
About 15% of asteroids that are large are "binary" systems like this.
This celestial event will not be visible naked eye, but space enthusiasts with even a modest telescope might be able to witness the pass.
After this, asteroid 1998 QE2 will hurtle back out into deep space; Friday's visit will be its closest approach for at least two centuries.
Researchers are becoming increasingly interested in potential hazards in space.
So far they have counted more than 9,000 near-Earth asteroids, and they spot another 800 new space rocks on average each year.
The Deep Space Network snapped images of the asteroid and its moon on 29 May
Read in browser » Russia urged not to arm Syria troops
By Anonymous on May 31, 2013 03:48 pm 31 May 2013 Last updated at 11:45 ET 
As well as targeting aircraft, the S-300 can engage ballistic missiles
The US and Germany have called on Russia not to supply Syria's military with an advanced missile system they say could prolong the conflict there.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said the delivery of Russian weaponry would have a "profoundly negative impact" and put Israel's security at risk.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle urged Moscow not to hinder the chances of mooted peace talks.
The US and Russia are pushing for talks in Geneva aimed at ending the conflict.
Mr Kerry and Mr Westerwelle held talks in Washington the day after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said a Russian contract to supply the S-300 surface-to-air missile defence system was being implemented, without confirming any deliveries.
Continue reading the main story Syria's Russian-made military
- Nearly 5,000 tanks; 2,500 infantry fighting vehicles; 2,500 self-propelled or towed artillery units
- 325 Tactical aircraft; 143 helicopters
- Nearly 2,000 air defence pieces
- 295,000 active personnel; 314,000 reserve personnel
Statistics: IISS
The S-300 is a highly capable system that, as well as targeting aircraft, also has the capacity to engage ballistic missiles.
Two Russian newspapers on Friday quoted defence sources as saying that it was unclear if any of the missile system would be delivered this year.
'Unified' government Mr Kerry called on Russia not to upset the balance in the region by providing weaponry to the Assad regime, "whether it's and old contract or not".
Continue reading the main story Analysis
Jim Muir BBC News, Beirut
After 40 years of tight dictatorship in Syria, it is not surprising that the opposition is finding it hard to produce a coherent, representative leadership to face off against a tough regime team in the proposed Geneva conference.
What was meant to be a three-day meeting of the opposition coalition in Istanbul turned into eight days of in-fighting that has failed to achieve its stated goals of electing a new leadership, approving an interim government and taking a clear position on the Geneva proposal.
After initially saying it would go to Geneva with conditions, the opposition now says it will not go as long as Hezbollah is fighting at Qusair. That buys it time for the great deal of work, and doubtless wrangling, that will be needed to construct a plausible delegation for the talks, and more meetings will be held early next month.
By contrast, the regime side is unified and coherent, and has decades of negotiating experience to draw on. The opposition risks a severe defeat in the talks, unless it gets its act together very seriously.
"It has a profoundly negative impact on the balance of interests and the stability of the region and it does put Israel at risk," he said.
"We hope that they will refrain from that in the interests of making this peace process work," he said.
He added that he was convinced the Syrian opposition would take part in the Geneva talks, scheduled for next month: Russian and American officials are set to meet next week to prepare the ground for the peace conference.
Earlier, Syria's opposition National Coalition ended marathon talks in Istanbul with a pledge to broaden its membership.
It will expand its leadership council to include more representatives of the rebel Free Syrian Army and other activists, following widespread criticism that it was out of touch with events on the ground.
Before the announcement, the US had called for a decision on a new leadership and an expanded membership to "move forward in planning the Geneva conference".
The BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut says a lot more needs to be done for the opposition to be in any kind of shape to attend any conference in a coherent manner.
He says that, by contrast, the Syrian government appears unified and confident.
Mr Assad said on Thursday that Syria would "in principle" attend the peace conference in Geneva if there were not unacceptable preconditions.
In an interview with Lebanon's al-Manar TV, which is owned by Hezbollah, he warned that Syria would respond in kind to any future Israeli air strikes.
More than 80,000 people have been killed and 1.5 million have fled Syria since the uprising against Mr Assad began in 2011, according to UN estimates.
How the Russian S-300PMU-1 missile defence system works 
- The long-range surveillance radar tracks objects over a range of 300km (185 miles) and relays information to the command vehicle, which assesses potential targets.
- A target is identified and the command vehicle orders the engagement radar to launch missiles.
- Launch data is sent to the best placed of the battalion's six launch vehicles and it releases two surface-to-air missiles.
- The engagement radar helps guide the missiles towards the target. It can guide up to 12 missiles simultaneously, engaging up to six targets at once.
Read in browser » 
No comments:
Post a Comment