Tories try to make peace on pay

SENIOR Conservative back-benchers are making behind-the-scenes contacts with Labour to avoid an embarrassing defeat for the Government on forcing MPs to disclose how much they get paid for second jobs.

Sir Teddy Taylor, MP for Southend East, is seeking support for a parliamentary move that would compel politicians to disclose their consultancy earnings - but not until after the general election.

John Major has set his face against disclosure, and in a critical Commons debate tomorrow the entire Government "payroll" vote will be wheeled out to push through a diluted version of the Nolan Report on standards in public life.

Labour and the Liberal Democrats have tabled an amendment that would bring in obligatory disclosure immediately, and informed Tory sources say the Opposition could win the key vote, compelling MPs to come clean on their earnings and humiliating the Prime Minister in the process.

Sir Teddy is asking Conservative backbenchers as well as Labour to back his compromise measure, arguing that defeat for the Government on what is technically a free vote will be even worse than having to concede the principle of disclosure.

"The Government is in a mess, and we have got to do something to sort this out," he said last night. "If anyone doubts the need to do something, they just need to look at the opinion polls on what the public think about politicians."

Westminster insiders say the vote is too close to call, and the issue might be decided on the level of Conservative abstentions. So far, six Conservatives have indicated a readiness to "go over the parapet" and support disclosure, with about the same number actively considering this step.

David Wilshire, Tory MP for Spelthorne, who is prominent among the "disclosers" - though he has no consultancies to disclose - said: "We have to clean up the public perception of parliament. I don't like being smeared. I am fed up with being called a sleaze-bag."

If the House does reject the Prime Minister's example, and goes for disclosure, the Commons Select Committee on Standards in Public Life will be instructed to draw up the necessary machinery, in conjunction with parliament's new "Sleazebuster", Sir Gordon Downey.

Robert McLennan, president of the Liberal Democrats, said: "Monday's vote could still redeem parliament's reputation. If any MP is embarrassed by the amount he makes from taking advantage of his position as an MP, then he should not take the money.

"The fears which made the Nolan Report necessary will not be allayed until the public can see for whom their MP works and how he benefits. Let's get full disclosure established for a start, and then continue to campaign in the House and outside for further and better measures to clean up public life in the UK."