Arrested MPs may not be named

MPs WILL use human rights laws this week to prevent politicians being named in the House of Commons after their arrest. The news came after The

Sunday Telegraph disclosed that four MPs had been secretly referred to the police for investigation by the expenses watchdog over the past year.

A fifth MP was referred by a member of the public and is being jointly investigated by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) and the police.

Ipsa has refused to name any of the MPs despite admitting that there is “reason to suspect a criminal offence has been committed”. Until now, the names of MPs taken into custody by the police were automatically published on the House of Commons order paper.

However, a motion tabled by Chris Grayling, Conservative Leader of the House of Commons, known as a critic of human rights laws, will mean that John Bercow, the Speaker, will no longer have to announce when an MP has been arrested.

MPs will debate the findings of a review by a Commons committee which last year called for names to be kept secret to protect “the right of members to privacy”, under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The recommendation,

endorsed by the Government and included in the House of Commons’ “future business” listings, published late last week, was tabled by Mr Grayling, alongside the Conservative MPs Charles Walker and Thérèse Coffey.

The motion has to be passed by MPs, but could be “nodded through” without a vote if no one objects during a debate on Wednesday after Prime Minister’s Questions.

John Mann, the campaigning Labour MP, criticised the plans. He said: “This is wholly unacceptable. I will not be supporting this proposal.”

Dia Chakravarty, political director at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Given the lack of any clamour for a change to these long-standing rules, it certainly seems odd that the Government has quietly tried to slip this motion through and the public will want to question their motivation for doing so.”

However, David Green, director of the think tank Civitas, said: “The normal understanding is that the police should not disclose the names of people they speak to during their inquiries until they are charged.

“So long as MPs are only asking to be treated in the same way as everyone else, there is no objection to this measure. Innocent people can easily be arrested.

“Lord Bramall’s experience has reminded everyone that the police are capable of treating individuals unjustly for long periods.”

Under the proposals, MPs’ names will be only be kept secret if the arrests relate to their private life.