Tory MP Andrew Bridgen to fight possible suspension from Commons

A Conservative MP is appealing against a recommendation to suspend him from the House of Commons for breaking lobbying rules.

Andrew Bridgen, MP for North West Leicestershire, was found to have breached the MPs' code of conduct earlier this month.

The Commons Standards Committee said he had displayed a "very cavalier" attitude to the rules.

The Speaker of the House has received a letter confirming Mr Bridgen's appeal.

The cross-party committee found the MP breached lobbying rules "on multiple occasions and in multiple ways" and called for him to be suspended from the Commons for five days.

It said the offences included an "unacceptable attack upon the integrity" of Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone.

It was recommended he be suspended for three days for this - in addition to two days for three breaches of the code of conduct, including failing to declare a relevant interest in emails to ministers.

The committee said Mr Bridgen should have told ministers and officials he received a donation and a funded visit to Ghana from the Cheshire-based firm Mere Plantations, and had a £12,000 contract to be an adviser.

The backbencher had previously said he was "extremely disappointed" and initially accepted the committee's findings, adding he would "comply with them as required to do so".

However, a letter to Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle confirmed the appeal after he extended the deadline to launch an appeal by a week.

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