Vaz is finally fit for rent boy inquiry to resume

LABOUR MP Keith Vaz is now well enough for an official probe into a liaison with Romanian rent boys to resume, it emerged last night.

The investigation was put on hold in December for unknown medical reasons after he said he was ill. But the married father-of-two has since visited India and Saudi Arabia.

His busy schedule led to an official complaint from Tory MP Andrew Bridgen about whether he was really too unwell. The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner (PSC) announced yesterday that its investigation had restarted.

Mr Vaz stood down as chairman of the Commons home affairs select committee in 2016 after The Sunday Mirror revealed his involvement with male prostitutes. It said Mr Vaz discussed buying cocaine with a rent boy. Hidden camera footage showed him saying he would pay for the classA drug but would not take it himself.

Texts allegedly showed him asking the escorts to bring sex-enhancing drugs to his north London flat.

In December 2016, police dropped an investigation into Mr Vaz over the allegations. But the PSC was due to look at whether he was guilty of a conflict of interest because he had been leading a review of vice laws at the time of the allegations.

Mr Vaz’s office did not respond to requests for comment last night.