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Former Tory MP Mercer resigns after Commons suspension | Former Tory MP Mercer resigns after Commons suspension |
(35 minutes later) | |
A former Tory MP has resigned after he was suspended from the Commons for six months for allegedly asking questions in Parliament in return for money. | A former Tory MP has resigned after he was suspended from the Commons for six months for allegedly asking questions in Parliament in return for money. |
Patrick Mercer said he was "ashamed" and had decided to "fess up" by standing down straightaway. | |
This will trigger a by-election in his Newark constituency in Nottinghamshire, which he has represented since 2001. | |
The UKIP leader Nigel Farage has said he will decide in the next 24 hours whether to stand in the by-election. | |
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. | 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 had already said he would not contest the general election next year and had been serving as an independent since May 2013. | |
'Wrong' | 'Wrong' |
In a short statement, the former soldier said he would not contest the findings of a report into his conduct, to be published on Thursday, which will call for him to be barred from Parliament for six months. | |
He said he was resigning with "a great heaviness of heart" for the sake of his family and he hoped that his constituents would "tolerate" him in the future. | |
"I am an ex-soldier, I believe that when you have got something wrong, you have got to 'fess up and get on with it," he said. | |
"No point shilly-shallying or trying to avoid it. What has happened, has happened. I am ashamed of it. Therefore I am going to do what I can to put it right for the constituency of Newark." | |
The MP, a prominent critic of David Cameron who was sacked as a shadow minister in 2007, said that he hoped that his successor as MP for the constituency would be a Conservative. | |
BBC deputy political editor James Landale said a by-election would be a "huge headache" for the Conservatives - who have already chosen Robert Jenrick to fight the seat. | |
Although the Conservatives have a majority of 16,000 in Newark, 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 Newark, the seat would be a prime target for UKIP at a time when it is soaring in the polls, he added. |
By-election | By-election |
UKIP leader Nigel Farage has told the BBC he will decide on Wednesday whether to stand in the by-election, the date of which will be decided in the coming days. | |
Under parliamentary rules, a by-election cannot be held before the date of the European Parliament elections on 22 May, thus removing one potential obstacle to Mr Farage - who is seeking re-election as an MEP - putting his name forward. | |
The standards committee of MPs met on Tuesday to discuss Mr Mercer's case and its decision was reported by The Week magazine on Tuesday 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". |
At the time, Mr Mercer said he took the money for consultancy work outside Parliament but referred himself to Parliament's standards watchdog. | |