The Labour party is to set up an ‘integrity commission’ to advise party management when members break party rules.

The party, which is part of the coalition government, will also sharpen up its ‘honour code’ and its MPs will have to sign the code before they take up their function, party chairman Hans Spekman told tv talk show Pauw & Witteman on Tuesday evening.

Labour has been faced with a series of examples of controversial behaviour recently. They include the resignation of junior minister Co Verdaas, whose expense claims while a provincial official were ‘unclear’ and the suicide of Amersfoort councillor Ramón Smits Alvarez shortly after €4,000 was found to be missing from the party’s coffers.

Spekman told the tv show he wants integrity to become ingrained in the minds of Labour people at all levels.

The move follows the ‘statement of integrity’ introduced by coalition partners the liberal VVD in May this year. This also followed a stream of scandals involving politicians.