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Oct 2021

Politics

‘No further action’ after Harrogate peer breached Lords code

Published: 4 Oct 2021, 06:10 BST

by Calvin Robinson

A Lords standards investigation finds Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate committed a 'minor breach' of the House of Lords code of conduct after he did not make clear the nature of business of a company for which he acts as a director.

Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate, who was investigated by the Lords standards commissioner.

No further action will be taken against a Harrogate peer who breached the House of Lords code of conduct, the standards commissioner has said.

Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate was found to have committed a “minor breach” of the code after he did not make clear the nature of business of one of the companies of which he is a director.

A report published on Thursday by the Lords commissioner for standards, Martin Jelley QPM, said Lord Kirkhope was one of 24 peers to commit a breach.

However, he said the matter was resolved by each peer providing a description of the registered companies.

Mr Jelley said:

“Apart from the Duke of Wellington, the other 24 members committed a minor and inadvertent breach of the code of conduct by failing to provide a description of companies they had registered.

“Each of them has resolved the breach to my satisfaction and I consider that no further sanction is necessary.”

The complaint against Lord Kirkhope followed allegations made by UnlockDemocracy, a London-based pressure group.

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Tom Brake, director of the group, wrote to Mr Jelley to allege that 39 peers had breached paragraph 53 of the House of Lords code of conduct, which says a peer should “give a broad indication of the company’s business, where this is not self-evident from its name”.

It said Lord Kirkhope did not make clear the nature of business of Reading-based Brass Trustees Limited, of which he has been a director since June last year.

The other peers investigated include Lord Sugar, the former Tottenham Hotspur chairman and founder of electronics company Amstrad.

Mr Jelley added in his report:

“It is the responsibility of members to ensure that entries within the register of interests are correct and up to date. It is in everyone’s interest that matters are reported accurately and fully.”

As Timothy Kirkhope, he was MP for Leeds North East and MEP for Yorkshire before being created a life peer in 2016. He has a keen interest in local radio.

The Stray Ferret has approached Lord Kirkhope for comment.

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‘No further action’ after Harrogate peer breached Lords code

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