Cameron demands probe into lobbying claims
David Cameron has demanded an investigation into "shocking" claims made by senior Labour MPs who were filmed apparently offering their expertise for cash.
The Tory leader joined cross-party condemnation of former ministers who were caught in an undercover "sting" operation for a television documentary.
Labour was forced by the revelations to rush forward a promise to enforce a compulsory register of lobbying which it said had been planned for the election manifesto.
But Mr Cameron said the claims raised wider questions about whether the MPs had broken sleaze rules and urged the Prime Minister to probe potential breaches within the Government itself.
"These are shocking allegations. I have been warning for some time that lobbying would be the next scandal to hit politics. First of all the House of Commons needs to conduct a thorough investigation into these (former) Labour ministers but also the Prime Minister would want to get to the bottom of the allegations being made about his Government," the Tory leader said.
All of the MPs filmed, including former cabinet ministers Stephen Byers, Patricia Hewitt and Geoff Hoon, denied any wrongdoing and insisted they had breached no rules.