It was brought to public and widespread media attention by a March 2010 documentary by Dispatches in which a journalistic sting operation recorded and revealed Members of Parliament and Lords offering to work for a fictitious political lobbying firm for fees of £3,000 to £5,000 per day.
[4] These nine included the Conservative MP Sir John Butterfill and Labour Party MPs Stephen Byers, Patricia Hewitt, Geoff Hoon, Richard Caborn, Adam Ingram and Margaret Moran.
Amongst the controversial comments made to the reporter were Geoff Hoon saying he wanted to make "some real money," Margaret Moran boasting she could call on a "girls' gang" of female ministers to help the fictitious company, and Stephen Byers describing himself as "sort of like a cab for hire."
[11] Byers later withdrew his name for consideration by the fictitious lobbying company via email, claiming he had over-stated his role and wrote "I have not spoken to Andrew Adonis or Peter Mandelson about the matters I mentioned."
[11] Conservative MP Sir John Butterfill was also implicated and offered to lobby to benefit the fictitious company and use his political connections for a payment of £35000 a year.
[16] On 22 March 2010 it was announced that Patricia Hewitt, Geoff Hoon, Margaret Moran and Stephen Byers had been suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party.