John Whittingdale has been brought in by Boris Johnson to devise a new MPs’ standards system – even though he has fallen foul of the process himself.
The former Culture Secretary will lead a committee that investigates ways to bring in an appeals procedure when MPs are accused breaking Commons rules.
This is a controversial decision because in 2016, Kathryn Hudson, the standards commissioner at that time, reprimanded him for failing to register a visit on MTV Europe Awards with his then girlfriend, a dominatrix, sex worker, within the 28-day limit set by Commons.
Later, it was discovered that Whittingdale also had a 2-year relationship with Stephanie Hudson, a former soft porn star. He claimed that he showed her confidential papers at the constituency home.
The former Culture Secretary will be the chair of a committee looking into ways to appeal MPs who are accused of breaking Commons Rules
At the time Mr Whittingdale refused to discuss his relationship with the married ex-Page 3 model, while a source close to him insisted she ‘did not have access to Government papers’.
Mr Whittingdale will chair the new committee thanks to the wording of a Parliamentary amendment yesterday – even though Commons committee chairmen are usually elected by other MPs.
The committee will operate for three months and will look at the standards system to see if it could be made ‘fairer’.
This could include the establishment a process to appeal against MPs who have broken Commons rules. It will also consider if Owen Paterson’s case needs to be reviewed.
Opposition parties declared that they would boycott this committee. The plan was for it to be made up of five Tory MPs including Mr Whittingdale – who would have the casting vote – three Labour and one SNP MP.
Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, said: ‘It would be laughable if it wasn’t so serious.
This could include the establishment a process to appeal against MPs who have broken Commons rules. It will also consider if Owen Paterson’s case needs to be reviewed. Above is Mr Paterson
‘The Labour Party won’t have anything to do with this complete and utter sham process.’
Whittingdale was a member of Parliament from 1992 to 1992. He was Culture Secretary under David Cameron. He was most recently the media minister under Johnson, but he lost his job in the recent reshuffle. He also used to be the boss of Mr Johnson’s wife Carrie – she was his special adviser when he was Culture Secretary.
In 2016 he was investigated by the standards commissioner after he did not declare a £1,500 trip to the MTV Europe awards in Amsterdam in 2013 with his then girlfriend, the dominatrix.
Whittingdale claimed that he had met the dominatrix via a dating website and that he ended the seven month relationship after learning from a national newspaper she was a prostitute.
Mrs Hudson, the commissioner, said in her report that his failure to declare the MTV trip was a ‘clear breach’ of the rules. Whittingdale apologized.