Summary
'Conduct
of Mr George Galloway' (HC 909-I) 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.
The Paper is
accompanied by two volumes of evidence:
'Conduct
of Mr George Galloway - Volume 2: Written Submissions Received by the
Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards' (HC 909-II) and
'Conduct
of Mr George Galloway - Volume 3: Oral Evidence taken by the Parliamentary
Commissioner for Standards' (HC 909-III)
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The
Committee recommended Galloway be expelled from the House of Commons for 18
sitting days, during the 2007-08 session.
Find out more about the
House
of Commons Committee on Standards and Privileges.