UK govt vows to toughen rules for lawmakers after ethics row

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has proposed a ban on lawmakers acting as “paid consultants” and promised to tighten ethics rules in response to scandals over lobbying and outside jobs. Johnson said lawmakers should be banned from acting as “paid political consultants or lobbyists.” He promised on Tuesday to seek cross-party support for the changes. Members of Parliament are allowed to earn outside income if they declare it and it doesn’t shade into lobbying. Johnson’s proposals are an attempt to stem criticism that began last month when his government tried to block a Conservative lawmaker’s suspension for lobbying on behalf of two companies that paid him more than 100,000 pounds ($137,000) a year.