Tory MP broke parliamentary code three times

KARL MCCARTNEY, a Conservative MP, breached the parliamentary code three times as he failed to declare links to a family firm, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards has found.

Since being elected in 2010, the MP for Lincoln has declared links to a firm he listed as ML Systems, an IT management and consultancy company, as an unpaid director and shareholder.

He declared payment for work done prior to his election in 2019, with the fee registered as being paid to the company.

However, an investigation by the Insider website found Mr Mccartney was associated to a different company, Moonlighting Systems, whose director is his brother, Kevin.

As a result of the investigation and a letter from Anneliese Dodds, the Labour Party chairman, Kathryn Stone, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, began an inquiry which found that Mr Mccartney broke the rules three times.

Ms Stone concluded that by registering a shortened version of the company’s name, rather than the full name of Moonlighting Systems Limited, registering himself as a director rather than as secretary … a position he had held since 1999, and registering under Category 1: Employment and earnings, receipt of a payment to ML Systems of £3,700, his entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests was incorrect, and a breach of paragraph 14 of the Code of Conduct for MPS.

Ms Stone said that Mr Mccartney’s breaches were minor and could be addressed by making a corrected entry in the Register of Members’ Interests.

She wrote: “I asked the registrar to arrange for the relevant current entries in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests to be placed in bold italics, so that it would be clear it had been the subject of an inquiry.

“I consider this to be a suitable outcome and have concluded my inquiry by way of the rectification procedure available to me under House of Commons Standing Order No 150.”

In a letter to the Commissioner dated Sept 21, Mr Mccartney apologised and said: “I accept, and confirm my acceptance of your decision … I also confirm I am content for you to conclude your inquiry in this way.”