Two former British foreign secretaries have just been suspended by respective parliamentary parties after they allegedly offered their government connections and services to a private company in exchange for cash.

The British politicians are identified as Malcolm Leslie Rifkind from the Conservative Party and John Whitaker 'Jack' Straw from the Labour party.

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A sample of the transactions the two allegedly engaged in were revealed after reporters for the Daily Telegraph and Channel 4's Dispatches pretended to be staff of a fake Chinese firm and conducted a sting operation.

Rifkind and Straw had introduced themselves to their "prospective clients" as the British Parliament's "standards watchdogs".

Rifkind, who is a Member of the Parliament (MP) for Kensington, had reportedly claimed that he could provide his guests "useful access" to all the British ambassadors in the world.

He had also told them that for half a day's work, he charges a fee of "somewhere in the region of 5,000 to 8,000 pounds".

Rifkind had also explained to the "representatives" of the Chinese company why he needed to collect fees.

"I am self-employed, so nobody pays me a salary. I have to earn my income," he had reportedly uttered.

The politician is, in fact, chairman of the Parliament's Committee on Intelligence and Security.

He had also served in various government posts, including cabinet minister under former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

He had also been a Secretary of State.

The MP began his public career 4 decades ago, when he won a seat in the Parliament, representing Edinburgh Pentlands in 1974.

Straw, for his part, is reported to have disclosed to the "staff" of the Chinese firm how he worked "under the radar".

He had also supposedly bragged that he used his influence to revise the European Union's rules, to benefit a firm which paid him 60,000 pounds a year.

As to how much his services cost, Straw had reportedly said: "normally, if I am doing a speech or something, it's 5,000 pounds a day. That's what I charge".

Straw has been working in government for 35 years, beginning as member of the British Parliament for Blackburn in 1979.

He had served in the cabinets of former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

Aside from holding the position of foreign secretary, Straw also served as Home Secretary, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice.

In reaction to the report, Rifkind and Straw flatly said they have not broken any rules.

Both appeared in radio interviews to say the allegations were unfounded.

Malcolm maintained he had nothing to be embarrassed about. He also said he never accepted an offer from a fake firm.

He, however, did not deny meeting what he thought were people from a Chinese firm.

But he described the encounter as just a "preliminary discussion about what they had in mind".

Malcolm also said he earns a salary of 67,000 pounds a year and that telling a company that he has no income is a "silly thing to say."

Amid the controversy that the recorded meeting generated, Labour Party leader Ed Miliband has asked British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader David Cameron to impose a ban on politicians who are holding second jobs. 

TagsBritish Parliament Scandal, British Bribery Scandal