Perhaps the biggest matter to go 'under the radar' re the money for access issue is one for Malcolm Rifkind to answer:

As Chair of the the Parliamentary Intelligence Security Committee (ISC), he holds one of the highest security clearances in the land. After all, he holds MI5, MI6 and GCHQ to account and knows an awful lot about what happens behind this collective of closed doors. In fact he co- authors an annual report into their activities and influences their budgets.

With such a privileged and influential position, he must be aware of the huge Chinese intelligence agencies and their hunger for information and power. He would know that blackmail, honey traps and discrediting people is a method they may use to gain favours - and they may pose as a legit business to make contact in the first place.

So why did he - with all the resources of MI5/6 and GCHQ at his disposal - fail to properly investigate this Chinese company before entering any discussions with them?

Whether he breached any rules is for others to say. Likewise, if he has damaged his integrity will come out in due course, but his obvious lack of security awareness and poor judgement - apparently based on greed (£5,000 to £8,000 a day fees) - is surely enough to get his security clearance rescinded & him removed from this important post?

They're all on the make given the opportunity.

There should be a rule/law that once you progress to a certain level in politics you are restricted about who you can join after you retire.

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Lets be careful out there !

Hugely embarrassing for both of them. I couldn't help feeling sorry for them though I'm sure I shouldn't.

So he has resigned as an MP (come May) and resigned from being the chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, but will remain on the committee until the election.

In a statement, about the committee, he said: "None of the current controversy with which I am associated is relevant to my work as Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.

For a wise elder statesman, the man is a bloody fool. How can making secret deals with an unvetted, unknown Chinese company not be a security risk, therefore highly relevant to his work on the ISC??

He should lose his security clearance immediately, be kicked off the ISC and concentrate on becoming self employed

You shouldn't Jon, it's just another case of 'snouts in the trough' where greed overtakes morals and ethics. There's probably many more like them who'll be asking for our vote in May as a meal ticket to other lucrative income streams.
It was interesting to see reports that 'no salary' Rifkind also receives £180k for directorships on top of his MP's salary of £67k. Nothing but Greed, greed, greed ...

I suppose what it is is that I'm more angry about so many OTHER things the governments they were senior members of did that this is trivial by comparison. Explains how it all happens though.

I'm sure there are large company payoffs taking place that we will never get to hear about. It's a closed club that has been going on for years and will continue.

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Lets be careful out there !

I agree.

I also think that Rifkind should be kicked off the OSCE - (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe). So far I've not since any mention of the OSCE and Rifkind in the mainstream media.

OSCE panel announced here:
http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics.ph ... v_id=92863
Those panel members are representitives from Germany, Serbia, Georgia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, Latvia, the Ukraine, a former Congress CIA External Board member, a former UN Under Secretary, and Malcom Rifkind of the crumbling UK. A mix that suggests to me that Rifkind's security clearance is of little interest to the powers-that-be.

More here on the OSCE announcement: http://www.independent.mk/articles/1336 ... n+Security

OSCE Common Purpose document here: http://www.osce.org/cio/15805?download=true