The undercover investigator, pretending to be a developer, was offered the opportunity to meet the housing minister by fellow Watford workers in exchange for a £25,000 sponsorship for the commercial event, an investigation by the Guardian newspaper alleges.
In a series of online meetings, journalists told peers they wanted to turn old department stores into homes and ensure that Labour would maintain the Conservative Party's beneficial tax credits and “change of use” rules.
When asked Angela Rayner's Housing Secretary if they had access to them, Evans said, “I have friends with senior jobs now, so being a fellow worker is great at this point.”
The Guardian advised reporters that the best way to get to her is not directly, but through the junior housing minister, making it clear that the £25,000 sponsorship payment would make it easier to access.
The wrong way
Davis admitted that the deal could be “the wrong way” and told the report not to write anything down as it “seems dangerous.”
He later proposed that the event attempted to get Matthew Pennycook to attend, and that they could hold another housing debate in the room of the Lords' Committee, and perhaps even Rayner could invite Ministers.

The newspaper asked Jonathan Rose, a political integrity expert at Des Montfort University, about Evans' actions.
Rose said he believes Evans' offer of access is an inappropriate “abuse of power on the grounds that he is a member of the Lord's House of Representatives, for the interests of his son and for his own interests.”
When Evans was approached by the Guardian, he denied any misconduct and said, “As far as I know, I have not broken the rules of the lord's house and have not made any personal benefits.”
He added:
Read the report in full.