The Lords chief whip, Roy Kennedy, took half in one of many occasions on the centre of an obvious cash-for-access enterprise revealed by the Guardian.
Lord David Evans of Watford, a Labour peer, was on Tuesday uncovered in an undercover investigation as providing entry to ministers, throughout discussions concerning the sponsorship of a networking occasion organised within the Home of Lords by his son, a deal price £25,000.
The Guardian can now reveal Lord Kennedy spoke at an analogous occasion for the development business held in a banqueting room within the Home of Lords final yr. The occasion, in November 2024, was hosted by Lord Evans and equally organised by his son, Richard Evans. Greater than 70 friends attended the occasion, a few of whom had paid greater than £600 for entry.
The revelation raises questions concerning the judgment of the second most senior minister within the higher chamber. As chief whip, Kennedy is accountable for occasion self-discipline.
The Guardian may also reveal Sharon Taylor, a housing minister, was introduced two weeks in the past by Richard Evans because the keynote speaker at one other Home of Lords occasion regarding UK housing and infrastructure, scheduled for June. Entry to attend the occasion is offered for greater than £320.
The web announcement appeared alongside an attraction from Richard to sponsor the occasion, for as much as £25,000.
However Woman Taylor advised the Guardian after she was approached for remark: “I would like to make it clear that I have declined this invitation and will not be attending in any capacity.”
The minister’s obvious willingness to talk on the occasion, alongside Kennedy’s involvement, is especially embarrassing for the federal government, given Lord Evans’ remark to undercover reporters: “It’s great being a Labour peer at the moment because we’ve got our mates who now have senior jobs, which is wonderful.”
The undercover reporters had posed as property builders fascinated about sponsoring a Home of Lords occasion, organised by Richard. They stated they needed to have their voice heard in authorities.
The most recent revelation could result in a wider debate across the tradition and guidelines that govern parliamentarians internet hosting non-public occasions in Westminster.
The development occasions are run by means of Richard’s firm, by which Lord Evans is a one-third shareholder. Lord Evans stated: “I would NOT and I do NOT accept payments for hosting any House of Lords events.” He stated he had forgotten he had a share within the firm.
There isn’t any suggestion that some other friends attending the occasions had been conscious of their industrial nature.
‘To get the chief whip though, like, last minute’
It was a quiet Friday in November within the Lords when Kennedy spoke. The day’s enterprise, a debate on the Grenfell Tower inquiry report, concluded shortly after 12.30pm. Downstairs, on the terrace overlooking the Thames, Lord Evans’ friends mingled within the Cholmondeley Room for the development business occasion.
As they sat for lunch, Lord Evans welcomed them, and stated he had “another friend” to introduce. Kennedy stepped on to the stage.
Kennedy advised the friends, a lot of whom labored in development, that he had been housing spokesperson earlier than the final election. He defined how his position as chief whip restricted his alternatives to talk, so he was happy “to be able to come down and say hello to a few people”.
Talking in entrance of a banner for one of many occasion’s sponsors, he added: “Housing is a passion of mine and ensuring we build sustainable housing for the future is really, really important. I also want to wish you a really, really interesting afternoon and have a lovely lunch. I know it’s a very cold day but it’s also a beautiful day and what a fabulous setting here, here in the House of Lords.”
He concluded by saying he needed to go away for conferences to debate the upcoming enterprise of the home, however hoped to return later. He didn’t come again.
In a later dialog with an undercover reporter, posing as an adviser fascinated about sponsoring an analogous occasion, Richard bragged about Kennedy’s attendance and steered he might be persuaded to attend once more.
“We can go for Roy Kennedy again … He was asked like, last minute, to come along. But to get, to get the chief whip though, like last minute,” he stated, with a snap and click on of his fingers, “like, just to come in and say.”
Richard was requested how he bought Kennedy to attend. “We’ve been members of the Labour party for 40, 50 years,” Richard replied.
A spokesperson for Kennedy stated he “responded to a request at short notice from a fellow Labour peer to give a welcome to attenders at an event in the House of Lords. He was in the room for a few minutes, spoke briefly then promptly left.”
‘Better than Keir Starmer, to be honest’
Ministers’ attendance type part of the promotional supplies for the occasions shared by Richard on LinkedIn.
When Richard was working to safe a sponsorship deal from the undercover reporter, he referenced the attendance of ministers at earlier occasions.
He stated that getting a specific minister for a earlier occasion had been “unbelievable. That’s a major coup.” He added: “Better than Keir Starmer, to be honest.”
Richard stated parliamentarians, not solely ministers, could be invited to attend occasions hosted by his father.
In the course of the course of the discussions with the pretend builders, Richard stated his father had lined up Richard Harrington, a peer and former Tory refugees minister within the housing division.
Lord Harrington was going to talk at an occasion within the Lords to be held in March, which the undercover reporters had expressed an curiosity in sponsoring. Entry for the occasion, by means of buy of an Affinity membership, was on sale from £299.
However after the Guardian contacted him for remark, he pulled out. Harrington stated: “I was personally asked by Lord Evans to speak at an event on foreign direct investment.”
He added: “Given the information that has been presented, I will no longer be attending this event.”
Lord Evans advised the Guardian he was not concerned in money for entry. He stated he was “NOT involved in the commercial side of the event and only interested in the political objective of building more social housing”.
He stated he had by no means taken any cash for internet hosting occasions in parliament.
Richard advised the Guardian the Affinity occasions in parliament had been “educative”, with 90% of attenders on gifted locations.
He stated the £25,000 sponsorship offers “extends beyond covering the cost of event delivery – it includes ongoing marketing support for our sponsors”.
He added: “Ministers are invited to speak briefly (typically six to 10 minutes) to update guests on a latest government news at these educational events, before returning to their busy schedules.”
Harrington is not referenced on the advertising for the Lords occasion in March. Shortly after the Guardian contacted Taylor, her attendance on the June occasion because the keynote speaker was additionally faraway from promotional materials.
