ir Keir Starmer was found to have breached MPs’ code of conduct by failing to register eight interests in time, including gifts from football clubs and the sale of a plot of land. An investigation into the Labor leader was launched in June by Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Catherine Stone into allegations of late declaration of earnings and gifts, benefits or hospitality from British sources. Speaking at the time, Sir Keir said he was “absolutely confident” he had not breached the MPs’ code of conduct. The commissioner has now found that the Opposition Leader failed to register eight interests – five more than those listed in the original complaint. However, it noted that “the breaches were minor and/or inadvertent and that there was no deliberate attempt to mislead”.
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The watchdog therefore decided that the investigation could be completed through the ‘correction’ process, without a referral to the Standards Committee, which happens in the most serious cases. The correction process involves publishing the details and an apology on the Commons website. A Labor spokesman said: “Keir Starmer takes his responsibilities at the Register very seriously and has apologized to the Commissioner for this inadvertent error. “He assured the Commissioner that his office’s procedures have been reviewed to ensure this does not happen again.” In the original complaint to the commissioner, it was alleged that between March 6, 2022 and May 13, 2022, Sir Keir had, on three occasions, failed to record income and accommodation received by the Home within the 28-day deadline. The warden undertook a review of Sir Keir’s registration in the past 12 months and noted four additional late registrations. During the inquiry, Sir Keir also informed Ms Stone that he was in the process of selling a plot of land for a sum that exceeded the £100,000 threshold for registration set by the House. The commissioner wrote in her report: “Sir Keir said he had been liaising with the CFO on this matter and, having valued the land in January 2022 and put the land on the market in March 2022, he expected it to be completed the sale to be able to register the correct value. AFP/Getty Images “I decided to include this topic as part of my research.” Ms Stone found that Sir Keir had failed to register the eight interests described above, including the plot, and had “breached paragraph 14 of the Code of Conduct for Members of the House of Commons”. However, he continued: “I have found that, based on the information available to me, the breaches were minor and/or inadvertent and that there was no deliberate attempt to mislead. “I therefore decided that the investigation could be completed through the 35 correction process available to me under Standing Order No. 150″. In a letter to the commissioner dated June 21, Sir Keir reiterated that the late returns were “the result of an administrative error in my office”, adding: “I take full responsibility for my record and apologise”. “My office and I have conducted a review of the process to ensure this does not happen again,” he noted.
