Independent Expert Panel dismisses appeal by Andrew Bridgen MP
20 December 2022 (updated on 20 December 2022)
The Independent Expert Panel (IEP) has today [20th December 2022] published its decision dismissing an appeal by Andrew Bridgen MP against the decision of the House of Commons Committee on Standards that he had breached the Code of Conduct for MPs.
The Committee concluded in a report published on 3 November that Mr Bridgen had breached the House’s rules on lobbying (“paid advocacy”), and the declaration and registration of interests. It also found that he had improperly sought to influence the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards while the Committee was considering the findings of her investigation. It recommended that he be suspended from the House for two sitting days for the breaches of the lobbying, declaration and registration rules, and a further three days for seeking to influence the Commissioner.
Mr Bridgen appealed to the IEP under the new rules agreed by the House in October. He contested both the Committee’s findings that he had breached the rules, and argued that the sanction imposed was unreasonable or disproportionate.
An IEP sub-panel, chaired by retired appeal court judge Rt Hon Sir Stephen Irwin, dismissed the appeal on all grounds, and upheld the original decision by the Committee on Standards.
The sub-panel’s reasons are set out in the IEP’s report on the case which is available on their website.