COMMONS Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg and Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross are the latest MPs to face investigation by Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Kathryn Stone, her office has said.
Stone is investigating Rees-Mogg over an alleged breach of the MPs’ code of conduct relating to his financial interests.
Confirmation of the investigation on the commissioner’s website said the probe related to “registration of an interest under Category 1 of the Guide to the Rules (Employment and earnings)”.
Labour had called for an investigation into claims Rees-Mogg broke the financial rules for MPs by failing to declare that he got £6 million in loans from one of his companies.
Ross is also under investigation in relation to his financial interests.
The news comes after Ross referred himself to Westminster authorities when an investigation by The Herald found he failed to declare more than £28,000.
The Moray MP and Highlands and Islands region MSP made nearly £7000 from refereeing 16 football matches from October 2020 to January 2021 but did not record that income in the register of interests. He also did not declare his Holyrood salary of £21,000.
Ross said the omissions were a “genuine mistake”, adding: “This was an error on my behalf that shouldn’t have happened, and I apologise for not registering these payments on time.
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“Since realising my mistake last week, I contacted the Office of the Register of Interests and made them aware of the situation. All payments have now been declared, including those from my MSP salary that are donated to charities.”
At the end of an investigation Stone could recommend Ross apologise to the Commons or call for his suspension.
However, the commissioner does not confirm what claims she is investigating once a probe has been declared.
According to the commissioner’s website, Rees-Mogg and 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.”
The SNP's Westminster depute leader Kirsten Oswald commented on the news, saying 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," she said.
“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.
“There can be no doubt that Douglas Ross’ credibility has been blown apart. It is surely only a matter of time before the search for the next Scottish Tory Leader begins.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish Conservatives said: “Douglas referred himself to the Standards Commissioner for investigation and he will support the conclusion they reach.”
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