AndAmong the MPs mentioned, former British Prime Minister Theresa May, Chairman of the House of Commons Environment Committee, Robert Goodwill or former Education Minister Gavin Williamson currently own banks, construction companies, defense, energy providers and stocks. Supermarkets.
A parliamentary regulation in force since 2015 obliges members to declare their holdings in companies representing more than 15% of assets or when their value exceeds 70,000 pounds (about 82,100 euros).
In addition, parliamentary regulations require declaration of actions that may indicate a conflict of interest, although this is at the discretion of each deputy.
“When an MP owns shares in a company affected by legislation before Parliament, a tension between protecting their private affairs and protecting the public interest is inevitable,” argued Steve Goodrich, director of research at Transparency International UK. Laws on housing, climate change or the high cost of living.
Conservative MP Desmond Swan, Labour’s finance spokeswoman Seema Malhotra or Scottish National Party spokesman Brendan O’Hara’s holdings are below £70,000.
Current British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held shares in the National Electricity Network until two days before he was selected as the Conservative Party candidate, the investigation revealed. Sunak explained that the fund will limit its investments from July 2019.
Theresa May held shares in oil giant BP when she was home secretary and her husband owns shares in BP, Barclays, BT and Centrica.
“Theresa May rejects any suggestion that she has breached parliamentary rules or ministerial legislation because of her husband’s financial interests in PT,” May’s spokesman said.
The Guardian’s report is the result of a six-month investigation and extensive procedures with records to obtain data.
“It’s very difficult to find out who owns shares in publicly traded companies in this country, which effectively keeps them secret,” said Susan Hawley, executive director of Spotlight on Corruption.
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