Dozens of MPs sponsored parliamentary security passes for working lobbyists

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Dozens of MPs have sponsored parliamentary security passes for lobbyists, with several failing to disclose the passholders’ jobs in official records. 

Culture secretary Lisa Nandy, Conservative MP Patrick Spencer and Labour MP Chris Curtis did not publicly declare they were sponsoring passes for lobbyists, according to a Financial Times analysis of the register of staff interests. 

Darren Jones, Labour’s chief secretary to the Treasury, is one of 24 MPs who have declared they have sponsored a lobbyist to receive a parliamentary security pass, according to the most recent update of the register published on October 11.

The passes enable individuals to enter the Houses of Parliament complex without going through airport-style security checks. While visitors to parliament have to be accompanied at all times, passholders are cleared to roam the estate where MPs, journalists and staffers work. 

Under the current rules, MPs may give a security pass to individuals provided they are using it to “directly support” the MPs’ parliamentary work, which has to be declared on the register of staff interests. The MPs must also list where passholders have other jobs that may be “clearly advantaged” by having a pass, such as working for a lobbying organisation.

When a staff member leaves, MPs must inform parliamentary authorities, who are responsible for cancelling the passes and email addresses. 

In total, there were at least 33 people listed in the most recent register as passholders sponsored by MPs who were also working as lobbyists for public affairs firms, unions or other organisations at the same time as they had passes. 

But the FT found that at least three people did not have their roles disclosed by the relevant MP in the past year. 

Nandy sponsored a pass for an employee in May 2022, when she was still in opposition. The employee left in October 2023 and later joined lobbying group Strand Partners in February 2024.

However, the pass was not cancelled by Nandy’s office, and the pass was still listed as active in the register in May this year.

A spokesperson for Nandy blamed an “administrative error” for the continued sponsorship. “We are confident the pass has not been used following this staff member’s end of employment,” they added. Strand Partners did not comment.

Spencer sponsored a pass for an individual who is also listed as working for Montfort Communications on its website. Their position with the communications firm was not disclosed on the register.

When contacted by the FT, Spencer said he employed the individual on a part-time basis that was “unrelated to any other employment that [they] had”.

He said the person had since left his office to take up another role.

He added: “We did not sponsor their pass so that they could work on other projects or indeed use their pass for other purposes. To the best of our knowledge no external advocacy has taken place.”

Montfort Communications said: “It is a clear and unacceptable breach of our company policy. The individual has been suspended immediately pending an investigation into conduct.”

Curtis sponsored an individual who was also employed at communications firm Pagefield, though their position at the public affairs group was not disclosed on the register.

When approached, the Labour MP said the person was employed on a part-time basis while joining from the communications agency, and now worked exclusively for his office. Curtis said that “the register of interests has now been amended”. 

Pagefield said it was “unfortunate that there was an administrative oversight” but that it had been “reassured that this has now been rectified”.

The most recent register also lists Jones as sponsoring lobbyists from Arup and Baringa for parliamentary passes. Their employment by the consultancies was fully disclosed in the register.

Labour said: “These individuals were temporarily seconded to provide support ahead of the general election. They do not work for Darren Jones any longer. Any suggestion of wrongdoing is inaccurate.”

It added that the names would be removed when the register is next updated.

Baringa said: “Baringa is proud to have worked on this secondment, which ended at the general election. We have returned the parliamentary pass.” Arup did not comment.

The House of Commons said that passholders “are subject to extensive vetting procedures and security checks”. 

It added: “There are strict conditions attached to the use of passes, which includes the duty to return passes when they routinely expire and at the end of employment. Clear instructions are provided on how to return a pass, with all passes, including those not returned promptly deactivated.

“Should the privilege of parliamentary access be abused by a pass holder, sanctions will be robustly applied.”