Kevin Barron
Kevin Barron has been the Labour MP for Rother Valley since 1983.[1]
Barron served as Shadow Spokesperson on Energy and Climate Change 1988-93, on Work and Pensions 1993-95, and on Health 1995-98.[1]
Barron was member of the Joint Intelligence and Security Committee from 1997 to 2004. He has been a member of the Liaison Committee since 2005. He chaired the Commons Health Committee from 2005 to 2010. He served on the Commons Standards and Privileges Committee from 2005 to 2013, chairing it from 2010 to 2013. On 7 January 2013, the Committee on Standards and Privileges was replaced by the Committee on Standards and the Committee of Privileges.
Since 2013, he has chaired separate Standards and Privileges Committees. As chairman, Barron was responsible for overseeing the ethical standards in the Commons and monitoring any questionable activities by MPs. On March 2016, Barron stepped aside from chairing the standards committee. Since 2010, he has served on the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.[1]
In 2006, Barron was one of four senior politicians who pulled out of receptions organised by Bell Pottinger Public Affairs following revelations that the firm was charging clients to meet them.[2]
In November 2015, Barron became a member of the Select Committee on Privileges.[3]
Contents
Expenses Scandal
On October 2012, while standing as the chairman of the standards and privileges committee, Kevin Barron was implicated in an expenses scandal when it was revealed he claimed £1,500 of taxpayer money a month to rent a home belonging to Jon Trickett, the former shadow minister for the cabinet office.[4] Barron began renting the home after selling his tax-funded flat for a profit of almost £500,000. By renting property from another MP, Barron was exploiting a loophole that allowed him to continue to claim rent allowance. The rental agreement was terminated after it was revealed.
Standards Committee Scandal
On March 2016, it was revealed that Barron, while still serving as the chairman of the standards committee, agreed to arrange events for a group of pharmaceutical companies in Parliament in return for personal payment of over £9000.[5] The agreement included allowing companies to sponsor events in the House of Commons. Amongst them were the Japanese Pharmaceutical Group, with which he had met over dinner three times.
His activities were in direct breach of parliamentary rules which prohibit MPs from making any personal financial gain using Commons resources. Sir Kevin said the proceeds of the arrangement had all been given to charity, and therefore was not illegal. Shortly after however, Barron stepped down from his role and announced he had referred himself to the parliamentary standards commissioner.[6]
The disclosures came after Tommy Sheppard, another MP sitting on the standards committee, failed to declare shareholdings worth more than £200,000, and Geoffrey Cox neglected to register more than £400,000 of outside earnings.[7] A campaign group has since called for the committee panel to be radically overhauled.[8]
Affiliations
- Associate Parliamentary Group for Energy Studies member
- Obesity All-Party Parliamentary Group
- Chair - Associate Parliamentary Health Group[9]
- Chair - Pharmacy All-Party Parliamentary Group
Contact
Constituency
- Address: 9 Lordens Hill, Dinnington, Sheffield, S25 2QE
- Telephone: 01909 568611
- Fax: 01909 569974
Parliamentary
- Address: House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
- Telephone: 020 7219 4432; 020 7219 6306
- Fax: 020 7219 5952
- Email: barronk@parliament.uk
Web & Social media
- Website: http://www.kevinbarronmp.com
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Rt Hon Mr Kevin Barron, www.parliament.uk, accessed 8 September 2013.
- ↑ Ravi Chandirimani, BPPA under fire over 'cash for access', PR Week UK, 28 September 2006.
- ↑ Dods people, 'Arrivals, moves and departures', Civil Service World, accessed 3 November 2015
- ↑ Holly Watt, Claire Newell and Robert Winnett, Expenses scandal: Kevin Barron claimed £1,500 a month to rent from colleague, The Telegraph, 19 October 2012, accessed 4 October 2016.
- ↑ Claire Newell, Edward Malnick, Luke Heighton and Charles Young, Commons watchdog chair Sir Kevin Barron hosted parliamentary events for drugs firm, The Telegraph, 9 March 2016, accessed 4 October 2016.
- ↑ Edward Malnick and Claire Newell, Commons watchdog chair Sir Kevin Barron steps aside from committee over 'rules breach', The Telegraph, 10 March 2016, accessed 4 October 2016.
- ↑ Edward Malnick and Claire Newell, MPs must no longer police themselves, says sleaze watchdog Lord Bew, The Telegraph, 9 March 2016, accessed 4 October 2016.
- ↑ Edward Malnick, Claire Newell and Lyndsey Telford, MP's standards body 'needs radical reform', The Telegraph, 11 March 2016, accessed 4 October 2016.
- ↑ Health APPG Register Feb 16, www.parliament.uk, accessed 19 February 2016
