Two peers face suspension from the House of Lords

Two peers will be suspended from the House of Lords for breaching rules on the provision of parliamentary services for “payment or reward”.

Former army chief Lord Richard Dannatt and Watford businessman Lord Evans face four and five month suspensions respectively.

The House of Lords’ rules watchdog launched separate investigations into the two men following a sting operation by the Guardian newspaper.

Neither peer appealed the standard commissioner’s findings or the sanctions, which will come into effect once approved by the House of Lords.

In the course of his investigation, the standards commissioner found that his colleague Lord Dannatt had breached the code of conduct by corresponding with ministers and government officials about three companies (UK Nitrgoen, Teledyne UK and Blue International Holdings) in which he had a financial interest.

The commissioner also identified four ways in which his Labor peer Lord Evans had broken the rules, including sponsoring events in Parliament for a company his son owned and in which he held a third of the shares.

Both men spoke out about the commissioner after The Guardian reported on comments they had made to the paper’s undercover reporters.

Lord Dannatt was filmed telling journalists, posing as potential business clients, that he could introduce people in government and that he could “make an effort to meet” better-placed ministers.

The commissioner concluded that no lobbying had taken place and no payment had been received.

However, he said Lord Dannatt had demonstrated “a clear willingness to undertake an activity which would have amounted to paid parliamentary services” and had “demonstrated insufficient regard for the need to act solely in the public interest in the course of his parliamentary activities”.

For that reason, he said the pair had violated the section of the code of conduct that requires members to “always act according to their personal honor.”

During the course of the investigation, the commissioner identified three further breaches, relating to Lord Dannatt’s contact with people in government about companies in which he had financial interests.

In these cases, the commissioner said the peer had breached the section of the code that prohibits members of the Lord’s House from receiving money for “parliamentary services”.

He said Lord Dannatt’s “lack of understanding” of the code and his belief that he was “acting in the national interest” were not mitigating factors, but acknowledged his peer’s “proactive expressions of remorse” and “willingness to learn”.

Lord Evans was found to have failed to “act on his personal honour” by telling Guardian journalists that he could introduce them to MPs.

It also sponsored events in Parliament for the company Affinity and asked members of the House of Lords if they would speak at the events.

Tickets for the events were advertised for sale at a higher price than the actual cost per person, contravening House of Lords rules on holding events, according to the commissioner’s report.

He noted that Lord Evans believed his shares in Affinity had been transferred to his son in 2013 and therefore “did not believe he would benefit from sponsoring events for Affinity as a shareholder”.

However, the commissioner concluded that, taking into account the “number and seriousness of the breaches”, a prolonged suspension by the Lords would be appropriate.