Claim e942f596Checked 21 Jul 2026
Not Enough EvidenceOn the evidence scale
Inconclusive — not enough public evidence to rate.
“Sir Alan Haselhurst’s intense lobbying was the reason Sky Sports can be found on the parliamentary TV network.”
Reasoning & Evidence21 Jul 2026
The claim asserts that Sir Alan Haselhurst's intense lobbying was the cause of Sky Sports being available on the parliamentary TV network. To evaluate this, we need to establish two things: (1) that Sky Sports is indeed available on the parliamentary TV network, and (2) that Haselhurst's lobbying was the reason for it.
**Effect confirmed:** Multiple sources confirm that Sky Sports channels are available on the parliamentary television service. A 2013 response from the Attorney-General's Office noted that through its subscription to the Parliamentary Television Service, it had access to "two Sky Sports channels." A 2014 Mirror article reported that Sky Sports is beamed into MPs' offices and on screens around the Palace of Westminster, with then-Labour MP Frank Doran stating on behalf of the House of Commons Commission: "The Sky Sports is provided free by Sky, so we don't actually pay for it." A 2026 Guido Fawkes article also referenced the Sky Sports subscription on the parliamentary estate.
**Cause not established:** While the effect is well-documented, I found no public evidence specifically attributing the inclusion of Sky Sports on the parliamentary TV network to lobbying by Sir Alan Haselhurst. We know from his parliamentary record that he was passionate about cricket — he chaired the all-party parliamentary group on cricket, tabled an Early Day Motion in 1992 about BSkyB's coverage of the cricket World Cup, and was a long-standing council member of Essex County Cricket Club. He clearly had an interest in sports broadcasting. However, none of the available sources document him lobbying the House of Commons Commission, the Administration Committee (which he later chaired from 2010), or any other body to add Sky Sports to the parliamentary TV network. The sources suggest Sky provided the channels free of charge as a commercial arrangement, which raises questions about whether MP lobbying was the decisive factor at all.
**Assessment:** This claim appears to be an anecdote shared in a memorial tribute — the kind of insider parliamentary story that may or may not be well-documented publicly. The effect is real and confirmed, but the specific causal link (Haselhurst's lobbying being "the reason") cannot be established from available public evidence. There is no evidence actively contradicting the claim, but also no evidence supporting it. This is a case where the causal question is well-posed, but public evidence cannot settle the direction or strength of the link. The fact that Sky reportedly provided the service for free suggests commercial motivations by Sky may have been a factor, but this does not rule out lobbying playing a role.
Sources:
- Attorney-General's Office response on Parliamentary Television Service and Sky Sports channels (https://api.parliament.uk/query/resource?uri=https%3A%2F%2Fid.parliament.uk%2FhIA91bZW)
- Mirror: "MPs get FREE Sky Sports access in their offices while taxpayers pay up..." (https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mps-free-sky-sports-access-2685984)
- Guido Fawkes: "Commons Shells Out Taxpayer Cash for MPs' Sky Sports Subscriptions" (https://order-order.com/2026/02/06/commons-shells-out-taxpayer-cash-for-mps-sky-sports-subscriptions/)
- EDM 723 (1991-92) on Television Coverage of Cricket's World Cup, proposed by Alan Haselhurst (https://www.edms.org.uk/1991-92/723.htm)
- Wikipedia: Alan Haselhurst — cricket interests and parliamentary career (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Haselhurst,_Baron_Haselhurst)
From speech
I echo the Prime Minister’s words on Lance Corporal James Freeman and about the Royal Navy helicopter crash in Devon. I also send my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Henry Nowak. The circumstances around Henry’s wrongful arrest and tragic murder must be a wake-up call to the entire country and our institutions that every life matters, and it is the responsibility of everyone in this House to bring people together, not divide them. Mr Speaker, with your permission, I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Sir Alan Haselhurst—Lord Haselhurst—who died on Monday. Sir Alan served Parliament for over 50 years, eight of them in the Lords and 40 years as my predecessor as MP for Saffron Walden, while from 1970 to 1974 he was the Member of Parliament for Middleton and Prestwich. He was respected on all sides of this House, and was elected multiple times as your predecessor as Deputy Speaker, before he concluded in the other place. Apart from serving his constituents, Sir Alan’s greatest passion in Parliament and perhaps in life was cricket, as you said, Mr Speaker. He was chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on cricket, a role which he encouraged me to take up and which I graciously declined, telling him I knew absolutely nothing about cricket. However, I think colleagues should know that Sir Alan’s intense lobbying is the reason that Sky Sports can be found on the parliamentary TV network. There is so much to say, but just to let everyone know, he was a good and kind man and he will be very much missed. My thoughts are with his wife Angela, his children Mark, David and Emma, and his grandchildren. May I ask the Prime Minister by how much the welfare bill has risen since he came to office?
Sources opened