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Suspension looming for MP Conway MPs suspend Conway from Commons
(about 23 hours later)
The House of Commons is expected to approve the suspension of Tory MP Derek Conway for 10 days and order him to return £13,161 paid to his son. MPs have voted to suspend Derek Conway for 10 days and order him to return £13,161 of the money he paid his son.
Mr Conway has already been censured for overpaying Freddie parliamentary allowances and has apologised to MPs. The Tory MP has already been censured for overpaying Freddie's parliamentary allowances and has apologised to MPs.
The Old Bexley and Sidcup MP had his party's whip withdrawn on Tuesday after the critical report by the Commons Standards and Privileges Committee. The MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup has had his party's whip withdrawn and says he will not fight the next election.
Mr Conway has announced that he will not stand in the next election. The Commons commission's Nick Harvey said he opposed a full ban on employing relatives, but said that it should have to be declared publicly in future.
Mr Conway said: "I have concluded that it's now time to step down." At the moment there are no rules against employing relatives paid for out of an MPs' allowances, and there is no requirement for any such link to be declared.
He said he did not wish his "personal circumstances to be a distraction" from David Cameron's leadership. 'Astonished'
I shall not seek to continue as the Conservative Party candidate for Old Bexley and Sidcup at the next election Derek Conway class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/7217733.stm">Family jobs ban for MPs? Conservative MP Sir George Young, chairman of the Commons standards and privileges committee, welcomed Mr Conway's prompt admission of wrongdoing over the amount paid to his son, while he was a full-time student in Newcastle.
"I have had tremendous support from my local party, my family and friends, but I have concluded that it is time to step down," he said in a statement. Sir George said the committee was "frankly astonished that after three years and a substantial amount of expenditure there was no independent evidence of his (Freddie Conway's) output or apparently anyone outside the family who had seen him working".
"Since joining the Conservative Party nearly 40 years ago I have had the privilege of serving in public office since 1974 and have done so to the best of my ability. It is difficult to think how much lower our collective reputation might sink Frank FieldLabour MP class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/7217733.stm">Family jobs ban for MPs? class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/7219292.stm">Analysis: Change on way?
"I have advised the chief whip and the chairman of my local Conservative Association that I shall not seek to continue as the Conservative Party candidate for Old Bexley and Sidcup at the next election. Official guidelines suggested Freddie Conway should have been paid a basic salary of £16,640, based on his age and experience, but Mr Conway had disregarded this and paid him the "substantially higher" figure of £25,970, said Sir George.
"Though not an original supporter of David Cameron for the leadership of my party, I believe that he has shown he has both the ability and the character to be prime minister of our country. Sir George hit back at criticisms that the Commons authorities had not come down hard enough on Mr Conway, saying judgements "can have serious and far reaching consequences for those who breach the rules".
"I do not wish my personal circumstances to be a distraction in any way from the real issues that have to be addressed." 'Reputation'
Mr Conway has already apologised unreservedly to MPs for "administrative shortcomings and the misjudgements" he made over the employment of his younger son Freddie while he was a full-time student in Newcastle. He said the committee had decided not to report Mr Conway's actions to the police and the question of whether MPs should be allowed to employ family members was a "debate for another day".
The standards and privileges committee found the arrangement was "at least, an improper use of parliamentary allowances; at worst, it was a serious diversion of public funds". Commons leader Harriet Harman said it was a "highly regrettable" affair - her Conservative shadow Theresa May said Mr Conway's suspension was needed in order to protect the reputation of the Commons.
Further probe
MPs are due to vote later on the recommendation that Mr Conway be suspended and pay back the cash given as a wage to his son.
Henry Conway's role for his father could also be investigated.Henry Conway's role for his father could also be investigated.
Labour former minister Frank Field said he thought there should be stronger sanctions and said it was "difficult to think how much lower our collective reputation might sink" in the eyes of the public.
Simon Hughes, for the Liberal Democrats, supported the call for Mr Conway's suspension and said MPs should be banned from employing more than one family member, that they should be recruited openly and paid the "going rate".
He also called for equal pension rights for "registered partners" of MPs as well as spouses.
'Distraction'
Later Mr Harvey, who sits on the Commons Commission, told the BBC that a regular "spot check" would help uncover "bogus arrangements" and said if MPs were to publicly register any relatives working for them, it could offer "reassurance".
However he said a total ban on children or spouses working for MPs was "not a runner" - nor was publishing the pay of people on "pretty modest incomes".
In any other walk of life he would have been sacked - I can't argue against that Ken Clarke
He said most relatives working for MPs were "generally people of very high calibre" who worked very long hours and "actually the taxpayer gets thumping good value from them".
Asked whether Mr Conway should step down straight away, the Conservative former chancellor Ken Clarke told BBC One's Question Time: "Personally I'm inclined to leave that to Derek.
"In any other walk of life he would have been sacked - I can't argue against that....but I say that with a very heavy heart. I'm astonished by all this - I like Derek Conway he has been a very good MP - so I don't like having to say that, it's up to him."
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said earlier there should be greater transparency over MPs' expenses - but said the Commons authorities should decide how to achieve it.
Mr Conway said on Wednesday he would step down to prevent further damage to his party and has apologised for "administrative shortcomings and the misjudgements".
He also faces a possible police inquiry and a further probe into complaints about his other son, Henry.He also faces a possible police inquiry and a further probe into complaints about his other son, Henry.
Scotland Yard has confirmed it has received a letter from Duncan Borrowman, the Lib Dem rival for Mr Conway's seat, asking officers to examine whether a fraud has been committed.
Meanwhile, Mr Cameron has described the use of public funds to pay Freddie Conway as a parliamentary researcher while he was a student Newcastle as "unacceptable".
In an interview with the BBC, he indicated he supported calls for greater transparency on who is employed by MPs.
He said: "All MPs, if asked questions about who they employ in their offices, should give straightforward, clear and transparent answers."
The Liberal Democrats say they are looking at how their MPs could be more transparent about who they employ.
There is nothing to stop MPs employing members of their families and it is thought that more than 40 do.