Probe into MP’s ‘conflict of interest’ over donor’s planning application

A CONSERVATIVE MP is under investigation by the parliamentary watchdog after he lobbied for a planning application made by one of his donors.

Rehman Chishti, a former vicechairman of the Tory Party, wrote a letter of support to council planners for a housing development in his Kent constituency in February.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards launched the investigation after a complaint that Mr Chishti had a ‘clear conflict of interest in relation to this plot of land’.

The development was proposed by a businessman who has given three donations to Mr Chishti – one personally and two through his firm.

Steve Reed, the Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary, said: ‘Mr Chishti has serious questions to answer about his conduct in properly declaring donations and allegations of conflict of interest. This case is yet another reminder of the cosy relationship between the Conservative Party and their developer backers.’

It comes as Labour plans to call a Commons debate tomorrow on Boris Johnson’s planning reforms, urging the Government to ‘protect the right of communities to object to individual planning applications’.

The commissioner is probing potential breaches of the MPs’ Code of Conduct – conflict between private interests and the public interest, and declaration of interests.

While the donations – made in 2015, 2019 and 2020 for £2,000 each – were declared in the Gillingham MP’s register of interests at the time they were accepted, the letter he wrote to the council’s head of planning does not detail them.

Instead, he says the applicant for the development is his constituent and asks the council to look at his MP’s register of interest. But, at the time the letter was sent in February 2021, his register made no mention of the donations. All entries are removed after a year.

The code of conduct says MPs must be ‘open and frank in drawing attention to any relevant interest’ in communications with officials.

The MP also does not mention his other links to the developer who has publicly endorsed his Election campaigns and made donations to his charity fundraisers. He has also boasted of having the support of the ‘leading local businessman’. Mr Chishti was asked for comment.