Lobbyist to lose Westminster pass

Mr Ashby insisted he had always declared his outside interests

An adviser to a peer is to lose his Parliamentary security pass after it emerged he also worked for a lobbying company with several defence clients.

Robin Ashby's role with Baroness Harris could be "open to misinterpretation", the Liberal Democrats have conceded.

His name appears on a newly-published register of the staff who are employed by members of the House of Lords.

But he insisted he had been "entirely honourable, straightforward and open" and had not lobbied defence ministers.

Mr Ashby is the managing partner of the Newcastle-based Bergmans Defence Consultancy, which represents a number of major defence companies.

He was also employed to offer advice to the baroness on matters such as the police, security and defence - but said most of this was done remotely, away from Westminster.

'Very sad'

He was given a researcher's pass for the Houses of Parliament and said he worked on Westminster issues for two or three days per week.

But most of his efforts were devoted to the UK Defence Forum, a think-tank of which he was the unpaid founder and director, he said.

This involved projects such as the organisation of homecoming receptions for soldiers, he added.

Mr Ashby insisted there was only one occasion when he had used his access to politicians to lobby, when he acted as a spokesman for 100,000 small shareholders in Northern Rock.

It was "very sad" that Parliamentary authorities had taken action against him, he told BBC Radio 4's The World at One.

And he predicted it would have a knock-on effect for "everyone who works for any other organisation - charities, public-affairs companies".

"Robin Ashby has acted as an adviser to Baroness Harris and was issued with a Parliamentary pass in respect of this role," a Liberal Democrat spokesman said.

"However, Baroness Harris recognises that in view of Mr Ashby's other commercial interests this arrangement is open to misinterpretation and she will therefore now withdraw Mr Ashby's pass."