Exposed: Labour peer’s involvement in what appears to be a cash-for-access venture

Lord David Evans of Watford said ‘our mates now have senior jobs’ and advised on how to approach Angela Rayner. A Labour member of the House of Lords offered access to ministers during discussions about a commercial deal worth tens of thousands of pounds, an undercover investigation can reveal.

Lord David Evans of Watford, 82, was recorded also explaining to undercover reporters – who were posing as property developers looking to lobby the government – on how to approach Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister and housing secretary. The peer said he was prepared to support the developers because he was keen to help the government build much-needed houses. But he appeared willing to break Lords rules by offering access to ministers and other peers during discussions with the fake developers concerning sponsorship of a commercial event in parliament run by his son, a deal that cost £25,000.

“It’s great being a Labour peer at the moment because we’ve got our mates who now have senior jobs, which is wonderful,” Lord Evans said. He said the way to reach Rayner was not “directly” but through a more junior housing minister to get “the lower ranks, so to speak, on side”.

The undercover reporters posed as representatives of property investors who wanted to turn old department stores into homes. Legislation introduced by the Conservative government simplified the planning rules on such conversions, and there are tax breaks for such a change of use. The reporters told the peer they wanted to ensure the Labour government retained these rules.

An online meeting with Lord Evans took place six days before Christmas. It followed weeks of messages and two earlier Zoom calls with his son, Richard Evans, about the sponsorship. During these earlier discussions, Richard, 56, proposed creating opportunities, alongside the event, to meet ministers in parliament. He made it clear the payment of £25,000 to his company for the sponsorship had to happen first.

He stated on several occasions that his father had done nothing wrong. He also suggested in one online meeting: “There’s nothing untoward about [the proposal]. It’s basically thinking creatively.”. Over a series of calls he implied several times that the deal could be viewed the wrong way, at one point saying he could not write anything down as his proposal “looks dodgy”.

The House of Lords event at the heart of the discussions is one of at least four run by his son through a company in which Lord Evans holds a third of the shares. All four of the events were or are due to be hosted by the peer, and parliamentarians are advertised as attending. Two have already taken place.

Rules ban peers from exploiting their membership of the Lords. While there are grey zones in the rules, peers must follow key principles, including a requirement to act as parliamentarians on their “personal honour”. There are also rules barring peers from hosting for-profit events in parliament.

Dr Jonathan Rose, a political integrity expert at De Montfort University who reviewed the evidence, said the Guardian’s findings warranted investigation as he believed Lord Evans’ involvement with the venture appeared to be a breach of these rules.

He said Lord Evans’ offers of access seemed “corrupt” as in his view it would be an inappropriate “abuse of power, by virtue of him being a member of the House of Lords, for the benefit of his son, and his own benefit”. Lord Evans is a one-third shareholder in his son’s company. There is no suggestion of illegality.

The event discussed with the undercover reporters is scheduled to take place in March and Richard, who runs the company behind the venture, is advertising for a platinum sponsor at a cost of £25,000. Lord Evans told the Guardian he had not acted corruptly. He said: “To my knowledge, I have not broken any House of Lords rules and I have NOT taken any personal benefits.”.

He added: “I would NOT and I do NOT accept payments for hosting any House of Lords events.” He said he had never approached Rayner to speak at any event. Richard said the venture was not “profit-driven” but a “commitment to strengthening the construction industry”.

The investigation is part of a wider series by the Guardian, called the Lords debate, examining the workings of the upper chamber and its members. It is being published against the backdrop of moves by the Labour government to raise standards and reduce the size of the House of Lords.

While Lord Evans has not received any payments in connection with the events, the revelation that a member of the Lords is involved with what appears to amount to a cash-for-access venture raises questions about standards in parliament. Parliament’s Cholmondeley Room, a marquee on the terrace overlooking the Thames, was busy when the Guardian’s undercover reporter arrived.

Promoting the November lunch, Richard, who uses the title “the honourable”, had keenly advertised on LinkedIn the “AI in Construction” event as “the opportunity for everyone to network at the highest level”. He called for readers to “sponsor this powerful event now!” and shared a document filled with pictures of parliament and details of sponsorship opportunities, including a platinum level, for £25,000.