Afriyie breached code of conduct
MP found to have failed to declare interests in time
Windsor MP Adam Afriyie breached House of Commons rules regarding registering private employment, it has been found.
The Conservative – who has been the town’s MP since 2005 – has been the subject of an inquiry by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Kathryn Stone, regarding a breach of the MP code of conduct.
Paragraph 14 of the code states that they should declare their interests, but Mr Afriyie has been found to have registered his private employment to the Commons outside a 28-day deadline set by the House.
This concerns his position as chair of the advisory board for the medicinal cannabis firm
Elite Growth, as well as his shareholdings in a company called Baubridge Ltd.
“I have decided that by registering the interests outside of the 28-day time limit set by the House you have breached paragraph 14 of the Code of Conduct for members,” the commissioner said in her report.
The report also confirmed that this was the second time
Mr Afriyie’s records have been investigated.
The commissioner said in a decision letter that she has decided to resolve Mr Afriyie’s breach of the code of conduct ‘through rectification’, rather than by making a referral to the Committee on Standards group.
The report added: “To do so, the committee would generally expect the member to provide the following…confirmation you have accepted my decision; clear acknowledgement that you have breached the rules (and) an apology for the breach.”
The commissioner said that she was ‘satisfied’ Mr Afriyie had not attempted to mislead anyone with his actions.
A letter from Mr Afriyie to the commissioner, included in the report, said he ‘completely accepts’ the decision.
The letter aded: “We have a strict liability system in Parliament and I am strictly liable for my entry, so I apologise for the breach”.
It was also revealed in the report that Afriyie complained to the registrar about the ‘inevitable pile-on by media and political opponents’ adding that this was ‘quite overwhelming’.
An email chain with the
registrar also shows Mr Afriyie asked to amend the register to illustrate he had been in contact about the role at an earlier date, but this was rejected.
Mr Afriyie said in a statement this week: “I’ve apologised to the commissioner that the entry didn’t appear in the public register within the 28 days and I thank her for her swift and thorough work.”