Tories Ross and Rees-Mogg face standards probe

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross and House of Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg have become the latest MPs to face a standards investigation.

Both were yesterday added to the list of MPs that are under investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Kathryn Stone.

Mr Ross referred himself to the standards watchdog after he failed to declare earnings from his MSP income and football referee appearances in the official register of income at Westminster.

The decision to investigate Mr Rees-Mogg comes after Labour demanded an investigation into a £6 million loan that the party said he did not declare properly.

Mr Ross has already apologised for not registering the payments and previously said the matter was an “error on my behalf that shouldn’t have happened”.

The Moray MP told parliament officials in London he had earned £5,106.70 from working as an assistant referee since the 2019 General Election.

But it emerged he had missed out a further £6,728.57 in payments between November and January this year for 16 matches.

Mr Ross also left out his salary earned at the Scottish Parliament where he represents the Highlands and Islands. He donates that wage of £21,490 to charity.

Kirsten Oswald, the SNP’s Westminster depute leader, said it is “surely only a matter of time before the search for the next Scottish Tory leader begins”.

She added: “Douglas Ross is just the latest in a long line of Tories who find themselves up to their neck in sleaze.

“By failing to declare thousands of pounds from multiple side hustles, and missing crucial votes in parliament to run the line at football matches, Mr Ross is in clear breach of the rules.

“The irony, of course, is that it was Mr Ross who was first off the mark to demand that others resign for rule-breaking, even when that was disproven, but has now become strangely reluctant to follow his own advice. It is clear that, just like every other Tory, Mr Ross believes it is one rule for him and another for everyone else.”

A Scottish Conservative spokesman said: “Douglas referred himself to the standards commissioner for investigation and he will support the conclusion they reach.”

The commissioner does not confirm what claims she is investigating once a probe has been declared.

According to the commissioner’s website, Mr Rees-Mogg and Mr Ross are both being investigated over “registration of an interest under category one of the Guide to the Rules (Employment and Earnings)”, and it refers to paragraph 14 of the Code of Conduct.

The relevant paragraph in the code states: “Members shall fulfil conscientiously the requirements of the House in respect of the registration of interests in the register of members’ financial interests.

“They shall always be open and frank in drawing attention to any relevant interest in any proceeding of the House or its committees, and in any communications with ministers, members, public officials or public office holders.”

Mr Rees-Mogg did not report to the official register that he received director’s loans from Saliston – a firm he owns – between 2018 and 2020.

In a statement, he said the company is “100% owned” by him and has “no activities that interact with government policy”.

He added: “Loans are not earnings and are not declarable in the register of interests.”

WAITING GAME: Douglas Ross and Jacob Rees-Mogg, left, are both under investigation by the parliamentary commissioner for standards.