Book Description

The Committee's report examines the memorandum produced by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards on the outcome of his investigation of complaints against the conduct of Mr George Galloway MP; the text of the memorandum is included as an appendix to the report. The Commissioner's investigation focused on allegations published in a series of articles in the Daily Telegraph in April 2003 that Mr Galloway had received substantial undeclared personal financial benefits from the former Iraqi regime ran by Saddam Hussein by way of the UN Oil for Food programme, and that in doing so he had breached the Commons' rules on registration of interests and the Commons' Code of Conduct. The Commissioner's inquiry has been one of the most complex undertaken and of unparalleled duration, having been delayed by legal proceedings. The Committee's report finds that Mr Galloway's use of parliamentary facilities in connection with the Mariam Appeal went beyond what is reasonable and that he should have registered his interests in the Mariam Appeal and all donations it received above the specified threshold. It also finds that there is strong circumstantial evidence that the former Iraqi Government funded the campaigning activities of the Mariam Appeal, with the connivance of Mr Galloway, through the Oil for Food programme. In doing so, Mr Galloway breached the advocacy rule of the Code. However, the Committee finds that there is no evidence that shows whether Mr Galloway has 'directly and personally, unlawfully received money from the former Iraqi regime'. The Committee finds that, in light of Mr Galloway's conduct in the course of the investigation, including questioning the integrity of the Commissioner and the Committee, he has damaged the reputation of the House. It recommends that he apologise to the House and that he should be suspended from the House for 18 sittings days, starting after the Summer Recess.