SDLP statement: So-called “Transparency Bill” does nothing to promote transparency

The current Parliamentary Transparency (Northern Ireland) Bill making its way through the Assembly does nothing to actually improve transparency or crack down on lobbying in our Assembly institutions.

This legislation was tabled by the sister parties of those who brought forth the Westminster version of the bill. The Westminster version itself was fundamentally broken until the SDLP re-wrote several provisions. Luckily, it was the later, amended versions of the bill which the Stormont bill now takes its form from.

Even though this legislation is not in the same state, the bill is still unnecessary, unhelpful, and entirely redundant as written. The bill’s title is “a bill to ban Members of the Legislative Assembly from trading in stocks, strengthen financial declaration rules and expanding measures against lobbying for former MLAs”, and yet it fails to do the following:

• Ban members of the Assembly from trading in stocks

• Strengthen financial declaration rules from how they currently exist

• Expand measures against lobbying

Amazingly, there seems to have been little care towards addressing what should be considered quite glaring and fundamental flaws.

The existing Assembly Code of Conduct already achieves the bill’s stated aims. A register of financial interests is kept, including for stock transactions, and there is a clear ban on members of the Assembly engaging in “paid advocacy”—otherwise known as lobbying. Unlike the bill at hand, though, violations of the Code of Conduct carry clear punishments which range from an apology to total suspension from the Assembly without pay depending on the severity of the breach. The most serious breaches of certain rules currently carry criminal penalties as well. One thing is clear: the existing rules are more comprehensive and lay out meaningful consequences for those that violate the rules, something which the current bill lacks.

We have worked through legislative channels to bring about stronger and more independent enforcement against the bans on lobbying in the Assembly to no avail. We recognise that questions that the bill raises are important and will deliver real lobbying and transparency legislation before the end of the Assembly mandate which includes the changes we proposed by amendment to the current bill. Such a bill would also include provisions to require the registration of lobbyists who deal with spads as well as ministers, a mandate to record the subject and nature of meetings with lobbyists, and prohibiting Assembly members from engaging in “paid advice” to lobbying firms and entities.

Only by addressing the lack of transparency within our political system in a meaningful way can we restore much of the public trust that has been worn down over the years from scandalous and disreputable actions. This bill unfortunately does not meet those aims. The Assembly’s time should not be wasted on useless legislation and therefore the SDLP have taken the decision to vote against this bill.