Commons hit by new scare

A humiliating new breach in Commons security looked set to end the reign of the "men in tights" today.

The revelation, only a day after an "invasion" by hunting protesters, was instantly seized on by Commons Leader Peter Hain, who is locked in a battle against traditionalists opposed to his plans for a sweeping security shake-up. He issued a pungently-worded statement after the "sting" by The Sun, making clear he would use the incident to step up his demands for a professional security expert to take charge of the Palace of Westminster.

It also emerged that only a week before the Commons chamber invasion, Mr Hain's proposals were vetoed by a secretive committee of MPs and peers.

They said the independence of the Commons and the Lords must be upheld by keeping security measures under the remit of the ceremonial office holders, known as "men in tights" because of their antiquated robes. The battle has put Mr Hain at loggerheads with Speaker Michael Martin, who sides with the traditionalists and tried to block MPs from debating the issue.

Reacting to the Sun stunt, Mr Hain said: "This confirms all my worst fears and is why I have so determinedly pushed for much tighter security and modern professional procedures in the House. Frankly, the Sun has done the House a favour by exposing the amateurish and oldfashioned culture which threatened the very cockpit of our democracy. It's not just government ministers at risk but the 14,000 other people who work in the Palace of Westminster who are at risk in

this modern age of suicide bombers."

Sun reporter Anthony France had obtained a ?5.50 an hour job as a waiter through a London catering agency. He was interviewed by the agency boss and supplied his real name and details, but gave two fellow journalists' mobile numbers as bogus references. Neither was checked, although it took eight weeks for his security clearance to be approved.

He began working at the Commons on 6 September and was given a photo pass which allowed him to come and go without having his bags screened. His fake bomb consisted of harmless Plasticine with wires and an alarm clock.

The newspaper even ran a photograph of him serving lunch on the Commons terrace to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, pointing out that he could have blown up Mr Prescott had he been a suicide bomber.

Some MPs reacted angrily to the tabloid's stunt. "This completes Britain's worst week of security blunders," said Liberal Democrat MP Mark Oaten.

Former Speaker Lord Weatherill said neither the incident nor the "invasion" justified a security clampdown that stopped the public attending Parliament or freely lobbying MPs. "I'm for open Parliament," he said, revealing that he blocked moves to put up a bulletproof screen in the public gallery during the Nineties. "There will always be people who get round security arrangements by stunts of this kind."

Home Office Minister Hazel Blears backed Mr Hain today, saying: "It's a matter of huge concern. If the bomb had been real it would have injured not just MPs but also staff and members of the public visiting the Commons. This shows once again why we have to bring security up to date."

It is the fourth serious security breach at Westminster this year after Greenpeace protesters scaled Big Ben and unfurled a banner and a Fathers4Justice campaigner hit Tony Blair with a purple flour bomb.

Mr Hain is also backed by Home Secretary David Blunkett and the Cabinet. He wants a Director of Security appointed to oversee both the Commons and the Lords, which have separate authorities, and to work closely with MI5 and Special Branch. Currently authority over the Commons belongs to the Speaker and his chief official, the sword-wearing Serjeant at Arms, both of whom wear black tights as part of their robes. In the Lords, the Lord Chancellor and Black Rod are in charge.

Although the Serjeant is in charge of security, the task of vetting and checking references before photo passes are issued is understood to be carried out by the police and MI5 rather than by Commons officials. With 14,000 passes issued at any time, it is a huge task.