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Tory MP Andrew Bridgen could face suspension from Commons Tory MP Andrew Bridgen facing suspension from Commons
(about 1 hour later)
Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen should be suspended from the House of Commons for five sitting days, a cross-party committee of MPs has recommended. Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen is facing a Commons suspension after breaching lobbying rules "on multiple occasions and in multiple ways".
The Standards Committee found the North West Leicestershire MP had displayed a "cavalier" attitude to lobbying rules. The cross-party Standards Committee found he had displayed a "very cavalier" attitude to the rules.
It said he had breached rules on registration, declaration and paid lobbying "on multiple occasions and in multiple ways". It called for him to be suspended for a total of five sitting days for offences including an "unacceptable attack upon the integrity" of Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone.
The whole House of Commons will have to vote on any sanction. The whole House will vote on sanctions.
A suspension of two days has been recommended for breaches of two sections of the MPs' Code of Conduct and a further three days for what the committee describes as an "unacceptable attack upon the integrity" of Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone. In a statement, the North West Leicestershire MP said he was "extremely disappointed" but accepted the committee's findings and would "comply with them as required to do so",
Mr Bridgen has previously denied any wrongdoing. The committee said Mr Bridgen had called Ms Stone's integrity into question on the basis of "wholly unsubstantiated and false allegations, and attempted to improperly influence" the process.
It recommended a suspension of three days for this - in addition to two days for for three breaches of the MPs' code of conduct, including failing to declare a relevant interest in emails to ministers.
Tory MP investigated by watchdog over donation
The report found he had "demonstrated a very cavalier attitude to the House's rules on registration and declaration of interests, including repeatedly saying that he did not check his own entry in the register".
The committee said Mr Bridgen should have told ministers and officials he received a donation and a funded visit to Ghana from the Cheshire-based firm Mere Plantations, and had a £12,000 contract to be an adviser.
He was found to have committed a "significant litany of errors" by failing to do so in eight emails to ministers, and in five meetings with ministers or public officials.
The MP had questioned whether his reputation as an outspoken critic of then-prime minister Boris Johnson could have influenced Ms Stone's findings.
He wrote to her saying: "I was distressed to hear on a number of occasions an unsubstantiated rumour that your contract as Parliamentary Standards Commissioner is due to end in the coming months and that there are advanced plans to offer you a peerage, potentially as soon as the Prime Minister's resignation honours list.
"There is also some suggestion amongst colleagues that those plans are dependent upon arriving at the 'right' outcomes when conducting parliamentary standards investigations.
"Clearly my own travails with Number 10 and the former PM have been well documented and obviously a small part of me is naturally concerned to hear such rumours.
"More importantly however you are rightfully renowned for your integrity and decency and no doubt such rumours are only designed to harm your reputation."
The committee said Mr Bridgen's email "appears to be an attempt to place wholly inappropriate pressure on the commissioner" which is "completely unacceptable behaviour".