Oi, you’re barred says the bartender chief whip:
Three former cabinet ministers have been suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party over claims they were prepared to influence policy for cash.
Stephen Byers, Patricia Hewitt and Geoff Hoon were secretly filmed as part of an investigation by the Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches.
[…]
Mr Byers, a former transport secretary, was filmed saying he was like a “cab for hire” who would work for up to £5,000 a day and claimed to have saved millions of pounds for National Express, which wanted to get out of its East Coast mainline franchise.
[…]
Former Defence Secretary Mr Hoon was filmed saying he wanted to make use of his international knowledge and contacts in a way that “makes money”. He said he charged £3,000 a day.
[…]
Ms Hewitt, a former health secretary, said she “completely rejected” the suggestion she helped obtain a key seat on a government advisory group for a client paying her £3,000 a day.
BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the three former ministers were not popular among Gordon Brown’s team – not least because Mr Hoon and Ms Hewitt had tried to lead a coup against his leadership in January.
Schadenfreude all around and it’s extremely funny to hear Mandelson call somebody else “altogether rather grubby”. But that’s the difference between these three and Mandy: they’re small time losers grubbing for change, he, like Blair, goes for the big money, where influence peddling is no longer dirty, but expected. You get yourself appointed to boards of directors rather than attempt to freelance — it’s the difference between being a call girl and a street hooker.