A RESEARCH assistant to Aldershot’s MP paid cash to a Labour peer for an introduction to the government minister in charge of weapons purchasing, it has emerged.

Michael Wood, who advises Aldershot, Farnborough and Yateley Conservative Gerald Howarth, paid former front-bencher Lord Hoyle an unspecified amount to arrange a meeting with Lord Drayson in June 2005.

Mr Wood, who is also an arms company lobbyist, is a former RAF officer who works for BAE Systems, one of the largest employers in Mr Howarth’s constituency and the company at the centre of an abandoned corruption probe into a £40billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia.

But Shadow Defence Minister Mr Howarth said Mr Wood was an “exceptionally valuable” adviser to him and that he always gave “excellent advice”.

When pressed on whether he thought it was appropriate for one of his employees to pay a member of the House of Lords to arrange meetings with ministers he said: “It is a matter for the minister and the peer and nothing to do with me.

“I am not sure if the payment was made specifically for the introduction but that is a matter for the minister and the peer.”

Mr Wood holds a pass, authorised by Mr Howarth, to gain access to the House of Commons.
“When I have authorised someone to have a pass I know that the person is safe to have it,” Mr Howarth added.

Mr Wood’s two companies, European Business Strategies and Whitehall Advisers, make him more than £200,000 a year.

Before obtaining a parliamentary pass — which allows him free rein in the House of Commons — from Mr Howarth, Mr Wood had access to Westminster after gaining similar authorisation from Derby’s Labour MP Bob Laxton.

Paying cash for ministerial introductions is frowned upon in the House of Lords but not outlawed.

Mr Wood refuses to comm-ent about his payment to Lord Hoyle. The details about his meeting with Lord Drayson were first published in The Guardian — part of a group of newspapers also including the News — which Mr Howarth accused of having “a vendetta” against defence company BAE Systems, which has a base in Farnborough.

Mr Howarth said: “The Guardian is a communist newspaper which has it in for BAE.

“BAE supplies thousands of jobs in my constituency and is invaluable to the British economy.”

A massive investigation conducted by the Serious Fraud Office into alleged corrupt dealings between BAE and the Saudis was dropped in December last year after the then Prime Minister
Tony Blair claimed it would endanger Britain’s security if the inquiry was allowed to continue.

Mr Howarth said it was correct that the investigation was halted, adding: “The deal was between two governments and the way the payments are afforded is a matter for the governments.”

King Abdullah of Saudi Arab-ia was on a state visit to Britain this week which included a ceremonial welcome from the Queen and a banquet at Buck-ingham Palace.

The visit has been boycotted by acting Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable who said it was not appropriate because of the kingdom’s human rights record and involvement in the alleged BAE corruption row.

Mr Howarth branded Mr Cable’s comments “a serious insult to the Saudis and the hundreds of thousands of peo-ple who work in the defence industry”.

He added: “I think it is very irresponsible and could be damaging for Britain if any-body took them seriously. We are all in this together as a nation and I think the Liberals’ actions are an extremely irre-sponsible gesture.”

Adrian Collett, the Lib Dems’ parliamentary candidate for Aldershot, praised Mr Cable and condemned Mr Howarth.

“Would the government welcome Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran?” he asked. “Mr Cable is right to stand up against what is an awful regime that doesn’t allow women outside without an escort.

“Saudi Arabia has an appall-ing human rights record similar to those countries and it is a disgrace that they have been welcomed to this country will all the royal trimmings.

“I am surprised that the Conservatives are backing the government over this but I think the main reason is because Saudi Arabia is an oil-rich country that is one of the biggest importers of arms made by British firms.

“I am sure this state visit has been seen as a triumph in Saudi Arabia.”

He said Mr Howarth should remove Mr Wood’s parliament-ary pass, adding: “Morals are extremely important in politics and when you begin to lose those then you’re in trouble.”