Lord Chadlington to Resign Amid Suspension Recommendation
Tory peer Lord Chadlington has announced his decision to leave the Conservative Party and retire from the House of Lords following a recommendation for a one-year suspension from Parliament.
This development follows an investigation that concluded he breached the Lords code of conduct concerning his involvement in facilitating contracts for personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic through a subsidiary of a company he chaired.
Background of Investigations
Initially, Lord Chadlington was cleared in two separate investigations. However, a third inquiry was initiated after new evidence emerged.
The former adviser to John Major stated:
"Any errors that I did make were honest,"
and he "wholly rejected" the findings of the commissioner.
Details of the Investigation
The investigation was conducted by the Lords standards commissioner Martin Jelley, prompted by a complaint that Lord Chadlington had referred SG Recruitment Ltd (SGRL), a supplier, to the government's 'High Priority Lane' for PPE contracts in 2020.
The 'High Priority Lane' was a government mechanism during the COVID crisis that allowed direct awarding of contracts to companies supplying PPE, bypassing the usual competitive bidding process.
SGRL, which secured PPE contracts during the pandemic, was a subsidiary of Sumner Group Holdings Ltd (SGHL), where Lord Chadlington was a shareholder and non-executive director.
The latest inquiry followed two prior investigations by the previous commissioner in 2022 and 2023, both of which had found no breach of the Lords code of conduct by Lord Chadlington.
However, the commissioner initiated a third probe after determining that evidence submitted by Lord Chadlington to the COVID inquiry constituted "fresh evidence" of his interactions with ministers and advisers during the pandemic.
Findings of the Commissioner
In a report published on Friday, the commissioner found that Lord Chadlington committed three breaches of a Lords rule prohibiting peers from providing "parliamentary services in return for payment or other incentive or reward."
These breaches included:
- Introducing SGRL's chief executive, David Sumner, to Lord Feldman, who was then an adviser to the health department on procurement.
- Contacting then-health secretary Matt Hancock to obtain the personal contact details of another adviser, Lord Deighton, for Sumner.
- Advising Sumner on how to approach Lord Deighton.
Additionally, Lord Chadlington was found to have breached the code by not fully cooperating with the two previous investigations and by failing to act "on his personal honour."
Appeal and Suspension
Lord Chadlington appealed the commissioner's findings, asserting that he had shown "total commitment to full transparency" and describing the recommended one-year suspension as "wholly disproportionate."
Nevertheless, the Lords conduct committee rejected his appeal and upheld the recommendation for a 12-month suspension.
The committee stated there was "no finding that Lord Chadlington deliberately set out to mislead the former commissioner," but noted his actions "fell short of the standards the House expects of its members."
The suspension was scheduled for a vote by the full House of Lords later in March, but on Friday, Lord Chadlington announced his intention to step down.
Lord Chadlington's Statement
In a statement, he said:
"Although the committee have acknowledged that I did not act dishonestly, it is important that I make clear that I never profited from an introduction, properly made with honourable intent, at a time of unprecedented national crisis."
"Any errors that I did make were honest. I have apologised for them and I do so again today."
"For more than three years, since reaching 80, I have discussed retiring with House officials but did not wish to do so while these investigations were ongoing."
"I have now decided, having proudly served as a peer for 30 years, that the time is right for me to retire and resign my membership of the Conservative Party."
Reaction from Campaign Groups
The committee's decision was welcomed by Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, the campaign group that lodged the complaint prompting the latest investigation.
A spokesperson for the group said the outcome vindicated "years we have spent fighting to expose the truth" about the High Priority Lane.
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