*Andrew Bridgen faces suspension from January 10 for breaking lobbying rules and a ‘completely unacceptable attack’ on the integrity of the Standards Commissioner*
MPs will on Monday vote on suspending Andrew Bridgen from the House of Commons over his “careless and cavalier attitude” to lobbying rules and suggesting the woman investigating him could be bribed with a peerage.
The Tory MP made multiple approaches to ministers and public officials on behalf of Mere Plantations, a UK-based reforestation company with forests in Ghana, for which he was initially paid £12,000 a year as an adviser, a report by the Standards Committee found.
He also attempted to influence Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone during her investigation by claiming he heard a “rumour” she would only receive a peerage if she ruled against him because he was an outspoken critic of then Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The damning report found that Mr Bridgen failed to declare his relevant interests in Mere Plantations during “eight emails to ministers, and in five meetings with public officials”, despite having “received registrable financial benefits” from the company.
Mr Bridgen “breached the rules of the House on registration, declaration and paid lobbying on multiple occasions and in multiple ways” in a “significant litany of errors”, the report found.
It added: “Each of these breaches could have led us to recommend a suspension from the service of the House.
“Mr Bridgen has 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.”
Last month the Independent Expert Panel (IEP) dismissed Mr Bridgen’s appeal against his proposed suspension and told the backbencher that he could reasonably have been handed a “more severe” punishment for the breaches.
The MP for North West Leicestershire will be suspended for five days from Tuesday if MPs vote in favour.
The report states he should receive a two day suspension for breaching lobbying rules and a further three days for his “completely unacceptable attack upon the integrity of the Commissioner”.
He will not be paid during the week he is not allowed in the Commons.
5 days ? He gets a five day unpaid holiday ? Bugger me that must put the fear of god into people to do the right thing.
The loss of pay is almost certainly going to be less than he got for lobbying. Not a punishment.
Andrew Bridgen, he should be sacked, he knows it, we know it, just no one got the bollocks to do it…
Ah the “independent” panels strike again showing just how “independent” they are.
Imagine for a second you did half these things at your job and were formally caught by it; youd be fired pretty darn fast. Don’t worry though MPs are allowed to just get the most smallest of wrist slaps and we wonder why our MPs are corrupt through and through
>‘completely unacceptable attack’ on the integrity of the Standards Commissioner
Well lets be fair here, there isn’t really that much integrity to attack is there? So maybe 5 days suspension is proportionate.
>Last month the Independent Expert Panel (IEP) dismissed Mr Bridgen’s appeal against his proposed suspension and told the backbencher that he could reasonably have been handed a “more severe” punishment for the breaches.
In other words the outcome of his appeal was “lol no, you’re lucky only to be getting 5 days”.
This guy should not be allowed anywhere near public office.
Bridgen – is he the whackjob that has gone completely raging loony antivax? rancid little oik.
It’s amazing that the Bribery Act was drafted so widely and just politicians somehow don’t fall foul of it.
I challenge all to find an article about this guy which doesn’t make you think, ‘urgh, what a cunt “
Serious question: What is the point of a five day suspension? It hardly seems worth it , I don’t understand how that is a punishment if that’s what is is supposed to be, as it has no impact and won’t act as a deterrent to anyone.
In any other position that would be gross misconduct and immediate dismissal, but noooo, mps get to vote on whether to suspend him… fucks sake
That’s what happens when you make an anti-Covid vaccination speech in Parliament, the deep state will get you.
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*Andrew Bridgen faces suspension from January 10 for breaking lobbying rules and a ‘completely unacceptable attack’ on the integrity of the Standards Commissioner*
MPs will on Monday vote on suspending Andrew Bridgen from the House of Commons over his “careless and cavalier attitude” to lobbying rules and suggesting the woman investigating him could be bribed with a peerage.
The Tory MP made multiple approaches to ministers and public officials on behalf of Mere Plantations, a UK-based reforestation company with forests in Ghana, for which he was initially paid £12,000 a year as an adviser, a report by the Standards Committee found.
He also attempted to influence Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone during her investigation by claiming he heard a “rumour” she would only receive a peerage if she ruled against him because he was an outspoken critic of then Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The damning report found that Mr Bridgen failed to declare his relevant interests in Mere Plantations during “eight emails to ministers, and in five meetings with public officials”, despite having “received registrable financial benefits” from the company.
Mr Bridgen “breached the rules of the House on registration, declaration and paid lobbying on multiple occasions and in multiple ways” in a “significant litany of errors”, the report found.
It added: “Each of these breaches could have led us to recommend a suspension from the service of the House.
“Mr Bridgen has 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.”
Last month the Independent Expert Panel (IEP) dismissed Mr Bridgen’s appeal against his proposed suspension and told the backbencher that he could reasonably have been handed a “more severe” punishment for the breaches.
The MP for North West Leicestershire will be suspended for five days from Tuesday if MPs vote in favour.
The report states he should receive a two day suspension for breaching lobbying rules and a further three days for his “completely unacceptable attack upon the integrity of the Commissioner”.
He will not be paid during the week he is not allowed in the Commons.
5 days ? He gets a five day unpaid holiday ? Bugger me that must put the fear of god into people to do the right thing.
The loss of pay is almost certainly going to be less than he got for lobbying. Not a punishment.
Andrew Bridgen, he should be sacked, he knows it, we know it, just no one got the bollocks to do it…
Ah the “independent” panels strike again showing just how “independent” they are.
Imagine for a second you did half these things at your job and were formally caught by it; youd be fired pretty darn fast. Don’t worry though MPs are allowed to just get the most smallest of wrist slaps and we wonder why our MPs are corrupt through and through
>‘completely unacceptable attack’ on the integrity of the Standards Commissioner
Well lets be fair here, there isn’t really that much integrity to attack is there? So maybe 5 days suspension is proportionate.
>Last month the Independent Expert Panel (IEP) dismissed Mr Bridgen’s appeal against his proposed suspension and told the backbencher that he could reasonably have been handed a “more severe” punishment for the breaches.
In other words the outcome of his appeal was “lol no, you’re lucky only to be getting 5 days”.
This guy should not be allowed anywhere near public office.
Bridgen – is he the whackjob that has gone completely raging loony antivax? rancid little oik.
It’s amazing that the Bribery Act was drafted so widely and just politicians somehow don’t fall foul of it.
I challenge all to find an article about this guy which doesn’t make you think, ‘urgh, what a cunt “
Serious question: What is the point of a five day suspension? It hardly seems worth it , I don’t understand how that is a punishment if that’s what is is supposed to be, as it has no impact and won’t act as a deterrent to anyone.
In any other position that would be gross misconduct and immediate dismissal, but noooo, mps get to vote on whether to suspend him… fucks sake
That’s what happens when you make an anti-Covid vaccination speech in Parliament, the deep state will get you.