World At One questions MP over payments from lobbying firm

The BBC’s World at One interviewed Robin Walker MP after a joint investigation by the Bureau and the Sunday Times revealed he was receiving monthly payments from a PR company.

The investigation exposed potential conflicts of interest of Worcester MP Walker who lobbied for a cut in beer tax while being paid more than £30,000 a year by Finsbury, a PR and lobbying firm that represented Carlsberg and pub company Mitchells and Butlers.

As a result of our investigation, the campaign group Spinwatch has lodged a complaint with the Public Relations Consultants Association, the regulator for the PR industry, which has confirmed that it is looking into the matter.

During the World at One interview, Mr Walker said that the £2,500 he received each month was paid as a ‘retainer’ in exchange for part-time work advising his collegaues working for former clients.

‘This is a business of which I was a partner. I was advising those clients at the top level before getting elected, and I think they consider that to be a useful continuing relationship – not that they’ve ever asked me to do any work relating to my political work.’

He further stated that he considered conflict of interest to be an issue ‘only if I worked on the political or regulatory side of their business. I made it clear to them right from the start, and they were very happy with the fact that I would never do that.

‘I’ve been very clear in disclosing the hours that I have worked in my Register of Member’s Interests and that is a perfectly legitimate way to act.’