Tories demand lobbying inquiry after Labour suspends former ministers

AFP - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Labour government denied involvement in a cash-for-lobbying scandal Tuesday, after three of its ex-ministers were suspended just weeks before an election.

Former transport minister Stephen Byers, who is at the centre of the row, was suspended from the party late Monday after a documentary was aired in which he was secretly filmed offering his lobbying services for payment.

Former defence secretary Geoff Hoon and former health secretary Patricia Hewitt were also suspended pending an investigation into the programme's claims, the Labour party said. All three deny wrongdoing.

Brown's official spokesman condemned their alleged actions Tuesday, saying: "The prime minister is clear that there must be no blurring of the line between public service and private gain."

But he again dismissed calls by the opposition Conservatives for an official investigation, pointing to an internal review carried out Monday which he said found no current ministers or civil servants had been improperly influenced.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw told the BBC: "There is not a shred of evidence, not a single scintilla of evidence, of any impropriety whatsoever."

But Straw admitted the trio's behaviour had brought the party and parliament "into disrepute" and said there was "incendiary" anger among Labour lawmakers battling to win re-election in a vote expected on May 6.

Conservative leader David Cameron, tipped to win power in the election, repeated his demands for an investigation, however, saying Brown "needs to think again" about his response to the "shocking" revelations.

"If it was serious enough to strip these former ministers of the party whip, it is surely serious enough for a brief but comprehensive inquiry," he said.

In the undercover sting for a Channel Four television documentary, the lawmakers were filmed apparently making an offer to a reporter posing as a lobbyist to use their government connections in exchange for money.

Byers described himself in the programme as a "cab for hire", charging up to 5,000 pounds (7,500 dollars, 5,500 euros) a day for his services.

Hewitt and Hoon were filmed suggesting they would charge 3,000 pounds a day.

The three were close to Brown's predecessor as prime minister, Tony Blair, and are due to step down as lawmakers in May. Hoon and Hewitt had also led a failed attempt to dislodge Brown as Labour leader in January.

Byers boasted to the undercover journalist he had made a secret deal with current Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis over the termination of a rail franchise contract.

Both the rail firm, National Express, and Adonis denied this.

He also claimed Business Secretary Peter Mandelson had amended food labelling regulations after he intervened on behalf of a supermarket giant.

Mandelson said he had "no recollection" of having talked to Byers about the issue, adding that the whole incident was "very sad and rather grubby".

Byers has since insisted he "exaggerated" his influence, adding that he had "never lobbied ministers on behalf of commercial interests".

In a separate development, the BBC said it had uncovered widespread abuse of parliamentary rules by more than 20 MPs from all the main parties who had accepted free overseas trips from foreign governments.

The scandal comes less than a year after a major row over MPs' expenses rocked parliament, triggering resignations including House of Commons speaker Michael Martin, the first holder of the office to be forced out in 300 years.