▁three ▁dec ades . ▁ ▁Over ▁the ▁latter ▁half ▁of ▁his ▁career , ▁his ▁business ▁interests ▁grew ▁which ▁led ▁to ▁criticism ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁just ▁a ▁voice ▁for ▁big ▁drug ▁companies ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Commons . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁it ▁was ▁revealed ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁third - high est ▁ear ner ▁for ▁MP s ▁with ▁outside ▁interests ▁with ▁contract s ▁worth ▁£ 5 5 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁Political ▁ide ology ▁and ▁views ▁ ▁D ud ley ▁Smith ▁views ▁could ▁often ▁be ▁described ▁as ▁soci ally ▁conserv ative , ▁with ▁him ▁calling ▁for ▁t ighter ▁restrictions ▁on ▁por n ography . ▁He ▁even ▁went ▁as ▁far ▁as ▁to ▁call ▁for ▁the ▁Guardian ▁to ▁be ▁pro sec uted ▁for ▁qu oting ▁from ▁D . ▁H . ▁Lawrence ’ s ▁‘ exp licit ’ ▁book , ▁Lady ▁Ch atter ley ' s ▁L over . ▁Despite ▁this , ▁he ▁has ▁generally ▁promoted ▁press ▁freedom ▁as ▁a ▁former ▁journalist . ▁He ▁believed ▁in ▁h anging , ▁thought ▁life ▁imprison ment ▁should ▁mean ▁at ▁least ▁ 2 5 ▁years , ▁was ▁against ▁anti - hom osex ual ▁law ▁reform ▁and ▁was ▁for ▁cur bs ▁on ▁abort ion . ▁He ▁took ▁a ▁fairly ▁s cept ical ▁view ▁of ▁mass ▁imm igration , ▁calling ▁for ▁" a ▁final ▁halt ▁to ▁imm igration ▁as ▁we ▁know ▁it ” ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 . ▁He ▁critic ised ▁the ▁then ▁Labour ▁Home ▁Secretary , ▁Mer lyn ▁Re es , ▁who ▁he ▁felt ▁had