Dozens of lobbyists and business executives have far-reaching access to parliament under a “free-for-all” system, an investigation by The Times has found.
Those who have been given the run of the Houses of Parliament include senior executives of Facebook, a key gambling industry figure and top commercial lobbyists.
Sitting MPs and peers sponsor dozens of passes that give lobbyists and campaigners access as long as they declare their interests. However, political spouses and ex-MPs are also given the right to a security pass which lets them into bars, restaurants and meeting rooms, in what has been described as a “gaping hole” in lobbying regulation.
They do not have to declare lobbying of individual MPs or government advisers, making scrutiny next to impossible.
Among those who
