{"id":122538,"date":"2023-12-18T11:39:28","date_gmt":"2023-12-18T11:39:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cottontailsonline.com\/?p=122538"},"modified":"2023-12-18T11:39:28","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T11:39:28","slug":"fresh-headache-for-rishi-sunak-as-tory-mp-investigated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cottontailsonline.com\/politics\/fresh-headache-for-rishi-sunak-as-tory-mp-investigated\/","title":{"rendered":"Fresh headache for Rishi Sunak as Tory MP investigated"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is facing a fresh headache after Parliament\u2019s standards watchdog confirmed it had placed Tory MP Miriam Cates under investigation.<\/p>\n

The backbench MP \u2013 who represents Penistone and Stocksbridge \u2013 is facing claims that she has caused “significant damage to the reputation of the House as a whole, or of its members generally”, according to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.<\/p>\n

It is not yet clear what the investigation relates to.<\/p>\n

The details of investigations by the Standards Commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, are kept confidential until the inquiry is concluded and those under investigation are barred from discussing the allegations.<\/p>\n

Ms Cates in 2019 and has become a leading figure of the right-wing New Conservatives group alongside fellow backbencher Danny Kruger.<\/p>\n

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She has also been outspoken in her concern about declining fertility rates in Britain, calling for policies to promote marriage and having children.<\/p>\n

Ms Cates is one of eight MPs currently being investigated by the Standards Commissioner, including Deputy Speaker Dame Eleanor Laing, veteran conservative Sir Bernard Jenkin and Reclaim MP Andrew Bridgen.<\/p>\n

The latest investigation comes at a time when Mr Sunak is under considerable pressure with less than a year to go before the next general election.<\/p>\n

Last week, Scott Benton, Tory MP for Blackpool South, was censured by the Commons Standards Committee, which concluded that he had committed a \u201cvery serious breach” of lobbying rules.<\/p>\n

The committee recommended that Mr Benton should be suspended from the House for 35 days.<\/p>\n

The decision opens the way for a recall petition which could trigger another difficult by-election for the Tories.<\/p>\n