MP investigated over missing declaration deadline

A minister has been placed under investigation by Parliament's standards watchdog for failing to register an interest on time.

Birmingham Yardley MP and Home Office minister Jess Phillips has been investigated for the same breach of rules on two other occasions in almost three years.

MPs must register interests such as income from non-parliamentary work within 28 days.

They are forbidden from commenting on ongoing investigations by the standards commissioner.

In May 2022, Phillips was found to have registered income from public speaking, television appearances, newspaper articles and books late on 18 occasions.

The commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, said these were "inadvertent" breaches of the rules.

In 2023, she was again referred to the Commons Standards Committee after registering payment for a lecture at the University of Bristol two days after the 28-day deadline.

This was also described as a "minor breach", as Phillips had attempted to register the interest before the deadline.

She had referred to the committee as it had occurred so soon after the conclusion of the commissioner's previous investigation.

At the time, the commissioner said a "casual attitude" to the register of interests was "unacceptable".

No further action was taken against her.

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