Talk:Greg Barker, Baron Barker of Battle

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Ministerial Career

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I noticed that Lord Barker's entry doesn't portray any of his ministerial work, which is a bit odd, because most ministers have sections describing what they did, initiatives they led, and other items of public interest, during their tenure. Examples - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Davey, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amber_Rudd, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Huhne, etc.

I would therefore like to propose the following additions to the entry:

In May 2010, Gregory Barker was appointed Minister of State for Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) in the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government led by Prime Minister David Cameron, serving under secretaries of State Chris Huhne and later Ed Davey. The position supported the Secretary of State on a number of domestic and international climate change issues, from energy efficiency, carbon reduction commitments, and decentralized and renewable energy to field poverty, social tariffs, and promoting consumer interests, including various green initiatives.

Sources: 1. https://www.theguardian.com/cleantech-summit/gregory-barker-mp 2. https://www.gov.uk/government/people/gregory-barker

Green Investment Bank

During his tenure, Barker played a role in the creation of the Green Investment Bank (GIB) in 2012 with the goal to reduce Britain's debt and yearly deficit. In the October following the 2010 general election, Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, announced plans to establish the bank in Parliament. The Chancellor stated that £1 billion of funding had been set aside as part of the Spending review with the hope of additional capital raised from private sector investment and proceeds from government asset sales. The UK GIB was established two yearls later with £3 billion of Government money. The announcement was at a stakeholder event in Edinburgh by then Business Secretary, Dr. Vince Cable, with Bank Chair Lord Smith of Kelvin and Chief Executive Shaun Kinsbury, joined by Greg Barker in his capacity as Minister of DECC, Energy Secretary Edward Davey and Scotland Secretary Michael Moore. In the years after his tenure, Barker was a staunch critic of the plans to fully privatize GIB, reportedly penning a letter to Prime Minister Theresa May urging her to "rethink". Following rumours that the new owners, infrastructure investment giant Macquarie Group, planned to assest strip. On Twitter (now X) he said: "I have written directly to PM to rethink sale of this big Conservative success story," and advised that she should "...tell PHammondMP to halt sale & pass #GIB back to #BEIS Ministers who have the right vision & grip & understand its value".

Sources: 1. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ministerial-responsibilities-at-the-department-of-energy-and-climate-change 2. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-green-investment-bank-opens-for-business 3. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-11585941

Renewable Heat Incentive In November 2011, the DECC headed by Barker launched the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), aimed at encouraging the adoption of renewable heating technologies. However, the initative forced delays, leading to criticism from the green heat industry, which warned that the hold-up could dampen interest in renewable heat technologies.

Source - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/jan/21/renewable-heat-incentive-delay

Capital Markets climate Initiative (CMCI) In September 2010, Barker launched the Capital Markets Climate Initative to engage the private sector in mobilizing investment for climate-friendly projects both nationally and globally; particularly in developing countries. The initiative aimed to identify and address barriers to private investment in low-carbon infrastructure. Consisting of over 80 participants from investment banks, pension funds, think tanks and academia, the initiative aimed to drive innovation and create partnerships between the public and private sectors to support low carbon climate resilient growth. During the launch at the London Stock Exchange, Barker stated: "The vital role of capital markets in tackling climate change has been overlooked for far too long. The finance needed to help developing countries become low carbon isn't flowing at the rate and scale needed."

Source - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/capital-markets-climate-initiative

I think it could also make sense to change the "House of Commons" title to "Parliamentary Career", and add this new section under the title of "Ministerial Career" before the "House of Lords" section. Mclavi25 (talk) 07:43, 14 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

When I looked at the sources, I saw a lot of conflict as to what his ministerial title and agency actually were. Wikipedia has pages for Minister of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change, and Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which list Hendry or Huhne as the incumbent for 2010. Then there are these titles:
minister of state for energy and climate change https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers-reflect/gregory-barker
Minister of State for Climate Change https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-of-state--12
He was appointed Minister of State for DECC in May 2010. https://www.gov.uk/government/people/gregory-barker
See if you can find a consistent source for this. Julian in LA (talk) 22:54, 25 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I know that different outlets referred to the position with unofficial names, and that over time, after Barker left political life, changes were made to the role and the title, but at the time he held the position the title was Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change.
Sources - https://www.theguardian.com/cleantech-summit/gregory-barker-mp, https://dam.media.un.org/archive/SG-meets-with-Mr--greg-Barker--UN-Minister-of-State-for-Energy-and-Climate-Change--2AM9LO5BWCLD.html
He was also known as the longest serving energy minister in 20 years at the time her served (now 30 years).
Sources - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/10968847/Jonathan-Reynolds-comes-to-Greg-Barkers-defence.html
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dissolution-peerages-2015 Mclavi25 (talk) 10:20, 26 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I consulted a British expat, who assured me that I can trust what the Queen said when she appointed him a life peer. That statement has him as "Minister of State at the Department for Energy and Climate Change." The Wikipedia page, Minister of state (United Kingdom), says that "Ministers of State are junior to the Prime Minister and Secretaries of State, but senior to a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Parliamentary Private Secretary." This makes sense of Barker's statement, "Chris Huhne who was my initial boss ..." Institute for Government Huhne was Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change.
Apparently, these titles are so confusing that the British press can't figure them out. No one in America can imagine why a minister would be subordinate to a secretary.
The statement by a newspaper that he was "the longest serving energy minister for a generation" might be impressive for a talk show host, but it doesn't seem the same for a cabinet member. I'll leave that out for now.
I will add a statement that he held this post under Huhne. A description of what he did there will have to wait until I or another editor has the time to study it. If you can post a more condensed summary of his achievements as minister, it would help.Julian in LA (talk) 21:57, 26 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Barker's role in the Green Investment Bank: the two links are to official press releases. One simply lists his new responsibilities as Minister of State and the other extols the success of the new venture, listing a dozen or more politicians. Barker is listed only in a sentence that begins, "they were joined by…" The bank seems to have been privatized over Barker's objections. I can't find anything saying that the bank was a success, but one parliamentary committee says that it was not. https://committees.parliament.uk/work/4081/the-sale-of-the-green-investment-bank-inquiry/news/98335/banks-green-intentions-not-adequately-protected-in-selloff/ The page Green Investment Group discusses the bank in less than flattering terms, but doesn't mention Barker at all.
Renewable Heat Incentive: Barker's name seems to be associated with this only in the linked article, which has him evading questions about when it will be completed: "Greg Barker yesterday refused to reveal when the long-awaited Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) will be introduced, [but] would only confirm that the incentives would be delivered "later this year." It also says, "Chris Huhne admitted to forgetting about the RHI when writing the coalition agreement." [I love the British press!] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/jan/21/renewable-heat-incentive-delay
Capital Markets Climate Initiative: He made a speech about it. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/capital-markets-in-the-spotlight-in-fight-against-climate-change
I will list all of these as initiatives that he pursued during his tenure as Minister. Julian in LA (talk) 03:53, 27 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Hi @Julian in LA, I'll try to address all the points in the upcoming days.
I'll start with Barker's role in the creation of the UK's Green Investment Bank.
There are sources starting in 2009-10 showing his involvement and naming him as the the lead. See below:
Fighting Treasury's plan to convert it from a bank to a fund - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/oct/18/green-campaigners-comprehensive-spending-review.
Barker as lead - "After the election on May 2010, the newly formed Conservative Liberal Democrat coalition government document also identified the creation of the GIB as a key political priority25. The matter was assigned to the department of the Secretary of State for DECC, Chris Huhne, with the Minister of State, Gregory Baker, as the lead" - https://www.e3g.org/wp-content/uploads/06_07_20_UK-Green-Investment-Bank-Report.pdf (page 27).
Barker talking about the importance of GIB for the newly formed governement - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/jun/29/green-investment-bank-low-carbon-economy.
The GIB received 3 billion pounds in funding - https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_12_1110, https://www.climatechangenews.com/2013/05/02/masdar-offers-welcome-boost-to-uk-green-investment-bank/
The GIB was officially launched in Nov 2012 with Barker attending - https://blueandgreentomorrow.com/economy/cable-cuts-ribbon-on-green-investment-bank/
First annual report showed millions of pounds committed to green projects -
https://www.greeninvestmentgroup.com/en/news/2013/green-investment-bank-publishes-annual-report.html
https://www.greeninvestmentgroup.com/assets/gig/corporate-governance/annual-report-2013.pdf
Barker continued to be involved even after the GIB's formation as can be seen on https://masdar.ae/en/news/newsroom/masdar-and-uk-green-investment-bank-form,
https://www.ippr.org/articles/vid-greg-barker-green-investment-bank.
He also continued to speak about GIB years later after leaving politics as can be seen on https://www.current-news.co.uk/ex-energy-minister-barker-voices-concern-over-green-investment-bank-sell-of/.
Overall, the bank received mixed reviews. I believe in the first few years is was seen as a success as can be seen in the sources I provided and also in later publications like https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/13/green-bank-sell-off-fears-mps-peers - "It has become a major investor in the UK’s offshore wind industry and has provided investment support to renewable energy projects across the UK." However, most of the criticism came towards its privatization which came later and Barker also opposed. Mclavi25 (talk) 14:01, 27 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I will go ahead to insert a summary of the three initiatives. If you want to add detail, you will have to propose a less wordy description that paraphrases the independent, published sources. A description of the project itself belongs in the article for that project. Announcements that were made 15 years ago relating to his projects and lists of other politicians that were involved don't seem relevant to Barker's biography. The same applies to the statement that he was "assigned as lead"; the results achieved under his leadership are what matters today. His battle to prevent the privatization of his project would make an interesting paragraph, but only if he did more than write a letter to the new prime minister and if she did something with it other than pressing Delete. A detailed description of the controversy belongs in the article for that project. Julian in LA (talk) 14:55, 27 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
The summary of his ministerial tenure has been added. I moved the dog story from "Personal life" to the section on his ministerial tenure. I resisted the urge to point out that the newspaper article includes an adorable photograph of Otto, credited to both Barker and a photographer. It's not unusual for the British press to give the dog more space than the accused minister, but it's very funny to those accustomed to reading about scandals in the American press. I'm dying to know, although it's not appropriate for this article, whether Barker cooperated by allowing the photographer access to his pet, whether it was done under a ruse, or whether the picture had been posted on social media.
I also simplified the description of his lecture in South Carolina. It is notable that he said it, but less notable that the reference is to a video of the speech. Julian in LA (talk) 21:32, 27 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Hi @Julian in LA, thanks for the feedback guidance. I understand your points regarding creating more concise summaries of the initiatives. I tried summarizing them a bit more and putting emphasis on Barker's involvement and their outcome. Please see below new suggestions along with the sources:
Green Investment Bank (GIB):
Barker advocated the creation of a Green Investment Bank as a vehicle for investing in low-carbon infrastructure projects.[1] The bank was established in 2012 with £3 billion in public funding and become a major investor in the UK’s offshore wind industry and other renewable energy projects across the UK.[2][3] It was later privatized in 2017 and renamed the Green Investment Group under new ownership, despite Barker's objection.[4][5]
Sources:
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/jun/29/green-investment-bank-low-carbon-economy
[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/800-million-boost-for-edinburghs-uk-green-investment-bank
[3] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/13/green-bank-sell-off-fears-mps-peers
[4] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-governments-sale-of-green-investment-bank-completed
[5] https://www.current-news.co.uk/ex-energy-minister-barker-voices-concern-over-green-investment-bank-sell-of/
Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI):
Barker helped introduce the Renewable Heat Incentive, a scheme offering payments to encourage the uptake of renewable heat technologies for homes and businesses. Starting in stages from 2011, it was the first program of its kind anywhere in the world.[1][2] In 2014, under Barker's tenure, the scheme launched its domestic phase, expanding eligibility to individual households.[3] The RHI ran until 2022, by which time it had supported over 110,000 installations of low-caron heating systems.[4][5]
Sources:
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/mar/10/renewable-heat-incentive
[2] https://blueandgreentomorrow.com/uncategorized/renewable-heat-scheme-to-reduce-emissions/
[3] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/apr/09/renewable-heat-incentive-homeowners-money-oil
[4] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-the-renewable-heat-incentive-rhi-schemes/closure-of-the-domestic-renewable-heat-incentive-dhri-and-its-successor-the-boiler-upgrade-scheme
[5] https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2022-07/Domestic%20RHI%20Annual%20Report%202021-22_0.pdf
Capital Markets Climate Initiative (CMCI):
In 2010, Barker launched the Capital Markets Climate Initiative (CMCI), a UK-led public-private partnership aimed at mobilising private sector finance for low-carbon projects in developing countries.[1][2] The CMCI convened a network of over 80 organizations from the financial sector to identify ways of unlocking private capital and to "market-test" new climate finance proposals for the UK's Invternational Climate Fund.[3] By 2014, its innovation platform had reviewed 9 climate finance proposals, including a renewable energy program in Uganda that secured £35 million in funding.[4] The CMCI's work helped pave the way for the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance in 2014.[3]
Sources:
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/capital-markets-in-the-spotlight-in-fight-against-climate-change
[2] https://www.reuters.com/article/markets/funds/government-launches-investor-forum-to-spur-green-finance-idUSLNE68601L/
[3] https://www.gov.uk/guidance/capital-markets-climate-initiative
[4] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f788b40f0b62305b87596/CMCI_annual_review.pdf
Also thought it worthwhile to suggest again changing the "House of Commons" title to "Parliamentary Career", and add a "Ministerial Career" title for this section.Mclavi25 (talk) 14:32, 30 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I'm sorry, but I have to say no to the proposed edit. These three projects are fully described elsewhere; two of them in Wikipedia articles and one in a very long government paper that is referenced in this article. Barker's involvement should be described, but the proposed change says that he "advocated" the Green Investment Bank and he "helped introduce" the Renewable Heat Incentive; that doesn't have a meaningful difference from what already appears in the article. It also says that he "launched" the Capital Markets Climate Initiative, which implies that he was in full control and does not share credit with anyone else. In the sources, however, Reuters says that "the government" launched it and then mentions a statement that Barker made. That is consistent with what already appears in the article.
Since the ministerial section is three paragraphs, two of them indented, there doesn't seem to be a lot of reason to create a separate header. It would be more prominent as shown if some of the other things were deleted, such as his junket to the Arctic with David Cameron and his announcement that he would not stand for reelection. Julian in LA (talk) 01:39, 1 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Hi @Julian in LA, first of all I appreciate the fact that you continue to provide me detailed feedback despite not agreeing with me on all things. I'd like to respond to some of your notes and try to show you and other editors who might review this, why adding this information does make sense.
Right now, the entry doesn’t really describe what Lord Barker did in his role as minister, which is arguably one of the most significant periods of his public service (and career). Looking at how other former ministers are presented on Wikipedia, I noticed that comparable entries (e.g., Ed Davey, Amber Rudd, Ed Vaizey, Andrea Leadsom) all include “Ministerial career” sections that outline the key policy initiatives they were associated with or have them detailed within a parliamentary section. Even junior ministers like Vaizey have several lines dedicated to describing actions they took in office. Most of these initiatives have their own entries, but you can still find some information about them on the ministers' entires as well (which I believe makes it much easier for the reader to understand the context).
Also worth noting that an article by FT named Barker as number two in the energy department upon stepping down and detailed his role in helping the Conserative party win after three election defeats. This shows that his time as Minister was significant in the UK. - https://www.ft.com/content/3d5ae901-8693-3199-8366-5ae1eddef97d
I'd also like to address your concern regarding space. I think it would make sense to trim some of the more routine early-career details currently in the “House of Commons” section. For instance, the extended discussion of the 2001 selection process or the election result stats. Many similar biographies don’t go into that level of detail on initial campaigns, and the political story involving Charles Wardle rivalry with Barker is extended even though not much came out of it (Barker was cleared and backed by the party). Shortening this part could help keep the overall structure balanced and to the point in my opinion.
As for the trip to the arctic, the reason I believe this is important to keep is because the Svalbard trip was a significant political moment in UK climate policy. When David Cameron, then leader of the opposition, visited the arctic with Barker, it marked a high-profile pivot for the Conservative Party towards environmental positioning - helping them win the elections later on. Barker's role as the Conservatives Climate Change Spokeman and Shadow Minister for the Environment was key and mentioned during the trip and years later as well.
Last thing to note, is that Barker was part of the government, so if a word I used like launched sounds like he is taking all the credit (which is not necessarily what I meant), we can change it to helped launched or something more soft. The fact that Reuters says the government launched and then quotes Barker, shows that he was a key person in this initiative (Barker as the government's representative).
For other initiatives like RHI I can also try to be more accurate and say that he "opened" or "announced the opening" the non-domestic RHI to application in Nov 2011 (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/renewable-heat-incentive-to-open-for-applications), as appears in the source, for example.
Bottomline, I think that the biggest gap in Lord Barker's entry right now is this section. His time as Minister was when he made the biggest impact on the public (especially in the UK), and his entry should therefore reflect that. Of course, if you think we should trim down the proposed paragrpahs further it's also an option - but my goal in the last version was to provide the reader with the basic information needed - Barker's role and involvement, a short explanation of what the inititative was about, and the final outcomes in brief.
Thanks again for continuing to help with this.
Mclavi25 (talk) 21:46, 3 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I appreciate your mentioning that the Arctic trip was to Svalbard. I had imagined Barker and David Cameron standing on an ice floe in the Arctic Ocean being interviewed by the press.
For the things you suggested removing, please feel free to go ahead and delete them.
I looked at the other pages you mentioned. Some have the same issues as Barker's page. They read like a Third World newspaper, which can't criticize the government, so they just print press releases and reports of speeches that ruling party officials have made. In the First World, politicians are in the same category as police officers: if everybody loves you, you're not doing your job. Any notable political action will attract press coverage and criticism from either left or right.
Ed Davies' page has large sections for each of his two successive mid-level posts. The first one, for Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, devotes two-thirds of its space to controversies: privatization of the of Royal Mail and changes in labor policy. The second, much longer section, again devotes most of its space to controversies, including whether he did or did not plan to solve the nation's energy problems by telling everyone to wear heavier clothing at home.
The page for Ed Vaizey tells the world that he served for 2,255 days. Amazing! It also gives him credit for maintaining free admission to museums and introducing certain tax credits, which are specific, concrete government actions. It goes on to say some things that I would not endorse, giving him credit for growth in movies and fine arts. That belongs in a campaign speech.
For comparison, I looked at some American equivalents, Cabinet under-secretaries. Elliot Richardson's year as Undersecretary of State gets one sentence before moving on to his much more significant role in the Watergate scandal. Nicholas Katzenbach's three years as Under Secretary of State gets two sentences, in order to include his very controversial assertion about the USS Liberty incident.
Elbridge Colby is a current undersecretary, and he has a very long description. Most of it describes things he said to officials of other departments or representatives of foreign countries. I think statements on behalf of his department or on behalf of the United States are far more significant than speeches he might have given to the public. His statements concerned specific and consequential policies, rather than "initiatives." Julian in LA (talk) 01:09, 8 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks for the feedback @Julian in LA, I understand what you're saying. I still think adding even just one sentence about each initiative or Greg's role in it could be worthwhile and give some context, but unless someone else agrees with me on this, it's up to you.
I'll delete some of the things you agreed to in the House of Commons section.
Also think we can remove the entire sentence starting with "In April 2011, Barker told an audience at the Moore School of Business...", if you agree. Don't think this is interesting or relevant. Let me know what you think.
Mclavi25 (talk) 14:08, 8 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I can accept either removing or keeping the reference to the South Carolina speech.
The article now has a paragraph giving a few words and a reference for each of Lord Barker's initiatives as energy minister. Expanding each one to a full sentence takes us back to where we were earlier. Did any of the newspapers report on his actual role, or on concrete results from any initiative? Julian in LA (talk) 14:41, 8 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Hi @Julian in LA, thanks for the feedback.
1. I'll remove the South Carolina speech. Think it doesn't add anything interesting/relevant.
2. I'll do some more research for sources that provide information on his actual role and results and will get back to you.
Mclavi25 (talk) 14:10, 11 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I revised the reference to Lord Barker's Arctic trip. I described Svalbard as a tourist destination, which may seem odd to people who expect beaches and tropical breezes, but I don't think the island has any real industry other than tourists who come to see polar bears and glaciers.The Eskimos gave up dogsleds in favor of motorized snowmobiles long ago, so the dogs would be there only to give rides to tourists. Julian in LA (talk) 18:58, 8 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Starting 2012, Barker also served as UK Minister for Business Engagement with India. I think that this role is also of public interest and would be worthwhile to add. See below suggested copy and sources:

UK Minister for Business Engagement with India

In 2012, Barker was appointed UK Minister for Business Engagement with India. He focused on strengthening UK-India commercial relations and promoting bilateral investment opportunities. During his tenure, he led a number of trade missions to India and met with government officials and business leaders to support collaboration in areas such as energy, infrastructure, and low-carbon technology. Notably, Barker emphasized the UK's interest in deepening cooperation with India on clean energy and climate security.

Sources - 1. https://www.conservativefriendsofindia.co.uk/news/cf-india-launches-first-regional-branch

2. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/jobs/c-suite/the-next-leadership-leap-navigating-strategy-and-disruption-in-the-ai-age-with-iim-kozhikode/articleshow/121204001.cms

3. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-climate-change-minister-in-india-to-enhance-cooperation-on-low-carbon-and-energy-security

4. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/UK-energy-minister-Greg-Barker-to-visit-India-next-week/articleshow/20816218.cms

Mclavi25 (talk) 07:05, 19 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

This seems to have the same issues as the section on Ministerial Career. I will post something on both of these presently. Julian in LA (talk) 22:14, 5 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I added the separate section for Ministerial Career and included the India references. Is there any source for his appointment and date as Minister for Business Engagement with India? Julian in LA (talk) 03:49, 8 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you for this. I'll take a look and see if there's anything I can find in regards to a specific date, will let you know. Mclavi25 (talk) 14:08, 11 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

MPs' expenses

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The current sentence - "Barker was implicated in the 2009 MPs' expenses scandal for his purchase and sale of London flats; this led to widespread outrage from tax payers." places undue emphasis on Lord Barker individually, whereas the expenses scandal was an issue involving numerous MPs across parties. It is also not accurate, because it states London flats, even though there was only one flat. This suggests disproportionate blame, from Neutral Point of View and Undue Weight Wikipedia policies. I'd therefore like to suggest the following rephrasing of the sentence:

"In 2009, Barker was among a number of MPs whose expenses were scrutinised during the parliamentary expenses scandal, in his case relating to the purchase and sale of a London flat. In 2010, he made a £10,000 donation to charity in lieu of the capital gains tax."

An additional source to the two existing ones, if needed, is https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/election-2010/7659951/MPs-expenses-Conservative-MP-makes-10k-charity-donation-in-lieu-of-capital-gains-tax.html Mclavi25 (talk) 07:35, 19 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

This sentence seems mostly adequate as is. The word "implicated", at least in the US, implies that other people were involved. There is a link to the Wikipedia page on the scandal, and the pop-up summary says that members in both houses of Parliament were involved. I will change the reference to flats to a singular.

 Answered: Julian in LA (talk) 20:10, 24 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Hi @Julian in LA — thanks again for your earlier feedback and for correcting the flats reference.
With your permission, I’d like to suggest one small change to the beginning of the sentence for context:
“When the MPs’ expenses scandal broke in 2009, Barker was implicated for his purchase and sale of a London flat; this led to widespread outrage from taxpayers.”
Although you mentioned the word implicated implies this, I believe this slight change helps clarify that Barker’s case was part of a much wider parliamentary scandal involving over 100 MPs from all major parties. Several of those MPs were prosecuted, suspended, or ordered to repay funds, for example, Elliot Morley was jailed for claiming on a mortgage that no longer existed. (source - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2039462/MPs-expenses-Elliot-Morley-freed-serving-quarter-jail-sentence.html)
In contrast, Barker’s case concerned the designation of a second home and although criticised, he was not found to have breached any rules. See Legg's Report on https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmselect/cmmemest/348/348.pdf (page 32)
I thinks this change will not alter the substance of the current phrasing, but will make it a bit clearer.
Thanks for considering.
Mclavi25 (talk) 11:22, 21 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
 Answered:I made some extensive revisions to this section. Interestingly, the Daily Mail has been declared to be an unreliable reference in Wikipedia, so I removed it. Readers who want to know how many resignations and prison sentences there were will have to read the linked article on the subject. Julian in LA (talk) 00:38, 22 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]