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Former Tory MP Mercer to resign after Commons suspension | |
(35 minutes later) | |
A former Tory MP is to resign after he was suspended from the Commons for six months for allegedly asking questions in Parliament in return for money. | |
The move to stand down immediately will trigger a by-election in his Newark constituency in Nottinghamshire. | |
He will confirm his decision when he makes a statement at 19.15 BST. | |
Mr Mercer was filmed by undercover reporters last year apparently agreeing to set up a parliamentary group to push for Fiji to return to the Commonwealth. | |
The MP for Newark has already said he will not contest the general election next year and has been serving as an independent since 2013. | |
Mr Mercer told the Sun on Tuesday that he would stand down, and this has been confirmed by the BBC. | |
The BBC's deputy political editor, James Landale, said it would be a "huge headache" for the Conservatives if Mr Mercer decided to quit and force a by-election. | |
Although the Conservatives have a majority of 16,000 in the Nottinghamshire constituency, the seat would be a prime target for UKIP at a time when it is soaring in the polls, he added. | Although the Conservatives have a majority of 16,000 in the Nottinghamshire constituency, the seat would be a prime target for UKIP at a time when it is soaring in the polls, he added. |
The UKIP leader Nigel Farage has told the BBC he would "seriously" consider standing as the party's candidate if there were to be a by-election after the date of the European Parliament elections on 22 May. | |
However, he said he would not stand if a by-election was held on the same day as the European elections. | |
The standards committee of MPs will announce the results of a probe into Mr Mercer's conduct on Thursday. | |
But the committee met on Tuesday and its decision was reported by The Week magazine this afternoon. A Westminster source has confirmed to the BBC that the report of a six-month sanction is correct. | |
Mr Mercer resigned the Tory whip last year after a report by BBC's Panorama claimed that he broke Parliament's lobbying rules by accepting £4,000 to lobby for business interests in Fiji. | Mr Mercer resigned the Tory whip last year after a report by BBC's Panorama claimed that he broke Parliament's lobbying rules by accepting £4,000 to lobby for business interests in Fiji. |
Panorama alleged that he had submitted five parliamentary questions in relation to his paid work as a lobbyist for a fake company that the programme had set up, in conjunction with the Daily Telegraph. | Panorama alleged that he had submitted five parliamentary questions in relation to his paid work as a lobbyist for a fake company that the programme had set up, in conjunction with the Daily Telegraph. |
Parliamentary rules prohibit MPs from accepting money "to ask a parliamentary question, table a motion, introduce a bill, table an amendment to a motion or a bill, or urge colleagues or ministers to do so". | Parliamentary rules prohibit MPs from accepting money "to ask a parliamentary question, table a motion, introduce a bill, table an amendment to a motion or a bill, or urge colleagues or ministers to do so". |
The Newark MP said he took the money for consultancy work outside Parliament but referred himself to Parliament's standards watchdog. | The Newark MP said he took the money for consultancy work outside Parliament but referred himself to Parliament's standards watchdog. |
The BBC has tried to contact Mr Mercer but he is not responding to messages. | The BBC has tried to contact Mr Mercer but he is not responding to messages. |