Jack Straw and Sir Malcolm Rifkind (Photo : www.expressandstar.com)
Channel 4 and the Telegraph have filmed two high profile politicians secretly during their conversations with a bogus Chinese company that is interested in taking advantage of their contacts and influence.
Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the chairman of the security and intelligence committee and an ex-foreign secretary, boasted to the undercover reporters that he can offer them useful access to all British ambassadors in the globe because of his position. "I am self-employed -nobody pays me a salary. I have to earn my income," despite the fact that he is being waged £67,000 for being an MP, the BBC reported.
Jack Straw, also an ex-foreign secretary and Blackburn's Labour MP, was caught telling the disguised journalists that it is best for them to work "under the radar" in changing the EU rules. He said that this has been his personal approach to work.
Both of these high-profile individuals denied the wrongdoing and have decided to submit themselves to the standards of the Parliamentary Commissioner.
Meanwhile, the former labour MP Kim Howells said that he was puzzled that Rifkind actually had the time to do outside work.
Howells said that his past role became a full time job for him and reiterated that the security and intelligence services should always be properly overseen, the Newsnight said.
"One would have thought that great care would have been needed by anyone who is chairing that committee," he said. "I think it is going to be very difficult for him," the former official shared.
He also added that the committee's reputation should not be dragged down with the issue.
