Sir Geoffrey Cox was ordered to spend more time in Parliament on Tuesday night – as it emerged he made a second trip to a Caribbean tax haven while the Commons was sitting.
The former attorney general was rebuked by Government Chief Whip Mark Spencer following revelations in today’s Daily Mail about his lucrative second job.
This Tory great has advised the British Virgin Islands government (BVI), which is a tax haven that’s been accused of corruption.
Westminster was stunned when the Mail published the shocking story about Sir Geoffrey, who used lockdown rules for proxy votes to the Commons during April and May while working in the Caribbean 4,000 miles away.
A Government source said Mr Spencer had ‘reminded him he needs to be physically present in Parliament, representing his constituents’.
Sir Geoffrey Cox was ordered to spend more time in Parliament on Tuesday night – as it emerged he made a second trip to a Caribbean tax haven while the Commons was sitting.
Downing Street also distanced itself from Mr Cox, with a No 10 spokesman saying an MP’s ‘primary job’ should be serving their constituents.
The Mail has learned that Sir Geoffrey went back to the Caribbean to fight corruption in an investigation by the British Foreign Office.
Footage from the inquiry shows that Sir Geoffrey was present in the courtroom where the inquiry was held on the largest of the islands – Tortola – on June 22, when Parliament was sitting in London discussing Covid regulations.
Tuesday also saw the revelation that Sir Geoffrey was forced to declare an interested in 2018. He had voted against stricter anti-money laundering regulations for tax havens, such as Cayman islands. There he supported a former premier from corruption charges. Sir Geoffrey, however, has not responded to numerous requests to comment.
Mail has learned that Sir Geoffrey went back to the Caribbean to help clear the BVI government from corruption investigation launched by British Foreign Office. Footage from the inquiry shows that Sir Geoffrey was present in the courtroom (bottom left and centre) where the inquiry was held on the largest of the islands – Tortola – on June 22, when Parliament was sitting in London discussing Covid regulations
Reporters visiting his West Devon home yesterday were told he was ‘abroad’. A Government source said the Chief Whip’s reprimand had been delivered by phone, suggesting Sir Geoffrey was absent from Westminster again on another Parliamentary sitting day.
Also, it was revealed that Sir Geoffrey only voted in person at Parliament twice in a thirteen-month span. The revelations followed controversy over Boris Johnson’s botched attempt to block the suspension of former minister Owen Paterson for breaking lobbying rules. It all started as follows:
- With possible regulations to restrict hours of work and prohibit working in lobbying firms, MPs had to face a crackdown upon second-jobs.
- The Metropolitan Police said they were ‘considering’ calls to investigate ‘cash for honours’ allegations relating to the appointment of Tory donors to the Lords;
- To move away from the sleaze, the PM was ready to go back to Cop26 Climate Change Summit today.
- Following revelations that Sir Keir starmer was an MP who had paid for advice from a law firm, he faced hypocrisy.
- No 10 said Parliament would be invited to ‘unpick’ the PM’s failed attempt to tear up anti-sleaze rules next week;
Sir Geoffrey is not accused of breaking the rules in pocketing more than £1million in outside earnings last year on top of his £82,000 MP’s salary.
Senior Tories, however, were shocked at his decision of decamping to the Caribbean to seek a lucrative contract.
One source said: ‘It is very sad that we are having to tell MPs that they need to put their constituents first.’
Labour called for an investigation into his conduct, adding that the Prime Minister needed to decide whether Sir Geoffrey was a ‘Caribbean-based barrister or a Conservative MP’.
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab initially appeared to defend Sir Geoffrey yesterday, saying that his outside work was ‘legitimate’.
Mr Raab said it was ‘quite important’ to have MPs who had ‘some knowledge’ of British overseas territories like the BVI. However, anger grew and No 10 distanced itself later from former Cabinet minister.
A Downing Street spokesman said the Prime Minister believed an MP’s ‘primary job is and must be to serve their constituents and to represent their interests in Parliament’.
He added: ‘They should be visible in their constituencies and available to help constituents with their constituency matters.
‘If they’re not doing that, they’re not doing their job and will rightly be judged on that by their constituents.’
Labour used the crisis to its advantage. Party chairman Anneliese Dodds wrote to the PM urging him to ‘show leadership’ and investigate the case.
She said: ‘Sir Geoffrey’s behaviour means it looks like he’d rather get a tax haven off the hook than represent the interests of his constituents.’