Ed Miliband Referred To Standards Commissioner Over AstraZeneca Links

The Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband MP has been reported to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards over his links to the board of AstraZeneca. It follows Miliband’s intervention in the House of Commons against the takeover of the drugs company by Pfizer. 

The report was made by the Conservative MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, David Morris.

Mr Miliband received a “donation in kind” from Shirti Vadera Limited on 5th December 2013 to the value of £4,402. The Baroness Vadera is a board member Shirti Vadera Ltd. and a Non-Executive Director of AstraZeneca.

David Morris MP said: “In recent days Mr. Miliband has resorted to political meddling in the takeover of AstraZeneca. I have now discovered that Miliband has received a donation in kind from Labour’s Baroness Vadera, a non-executive director of AstraZeneca. 

“Ed Miliband should declare his interests before getting involved in cases such as these and I think the right thing to do is to refer the matter to the Parliamentary Commissioner to be fully investigated as a matter of urgency

“This is something I have questioned both in the Chamber of the House of Commons and on BBC Radio 4.

“I can confirm I have today written to the Parliamentary Commissioner with this request.”

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards will now decide whether an investigation is required into the actions of the Labour Leader. She will then make a recommendation to the Committee on Standards and Privileges on what action if any should be taken.