Recall petition for suspended Wellingborough MP Peter Bone opens

A recall petition has opened to decide whether Peter Bone MP should lose his seat.

Mr Bone, the MP for Wellingborough, was found to have subjected a member of his staff to bullying and sexual misconduct.

The recall petition was prompted by his suspension from the House of Commons for six weeks for breaching the code of conduct for MPs.

Mr Bone was also suspended from the Conservative Party.

The recall petition will be open for six weeks until Tuesday 19 December.

If 10% of voters in his Wellingborough constituency sign the petition, the seat becomes vacant - and a by-election would be called.

Last month, an investigation by Parliament's behaviour watchdog, the Independent Expert Panel, found Mr Bone broke sexual misconduct rules by indecently exposing himself to a staff member during an overseas trip.

It also upheld five allegations of bullying, including verbally belittling him, physically striking him and throwing things at him.

The alleged victim told the BBC "physical, emotional and psychological abuse" by the MP left him a "broken shell of the young man I once was".

Mr Bone has denied the allegations.

The 71-year-old won the seat with an 18,500 majority in 2019 but the prime minister admitted any by-election would be "difficult" for the Tories.

The majority is smaller than those the Tories had in both Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire, which were both lost to Labour in by-elections earlier this month.

Mr Bone could stand in any by-election in an attempt to regain his seat but not for the Conservative Party, if he remains suspended.

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