Tory MP Miriam Cates has been positioned below investigation by the Commons requirements watchdog for inflicting “significant damage” to Parliament’s popularity.
Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Daniel Greenberg launched a probe into an alleged breach of the MPs code of conduct by the distinguished backbencher. Under the principles, the main points of such investigations are confidential and all these concerned are barred from discussing it till the probe is accomplished.
But studies have emerged that the probe pertains to a lockdown drinks get together in December 2020, which Ms Cates is alleged to have attended. According to the Daily Mail, Ms Cates was among the many company at a birthday bash for Tory peer Baroness Jenkin and fellow backbencher Virginia Crosbie.
Ms Cates is one in every of eight MPs at present being investigated by the Standards Commissioner, all Tories or former Tories. These embrace Deputy Speaker Dame Eleanor Laing, Sir Bernard Jenkin and Virginia Crosbie, who’re believed to be below investigation for allegedly attending the birthday. The Metropolitan Police closed its probe into the identical occasion earlier this month, with no motion taken towards any people.
Ms Cates, who was elected as MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge in 2019, co-founded the right-wing New Conservatives group alongside fellow backbencher Danny Kruger. The group has referred to as for tax cuts, important cuts to immigration and withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights. It has piled strain on Rishi Sunak in latest weeks to strengthen his Rwanda plan to make sure migrants will be unable to make authorized challenges to deportations.
The New Conservatives additionally help conventional household values, with Ms Cates having mentioned that getting Britain reproducing once more is “fundamental to our survival” as she claimed the schooling system is “destroying children’s souls”. She has been outspoken in her concern about declining fertility charges in Britain, calling for insurance policies to advertise marriage and having kids.
In 2021, Ms Cates and Mr Kruger additionally established the New Social Covenant Unit (NSCU) to advertise “families, communities and the nation”. Earlier in 2023, the NSCU revealed a evaluation commissioned by Ms Cates criticising intercourse schooling and claiming kids had been being proven inappropriate materials, prompting the Prime Minister to order a evaluation of steering on the topic. Teaching unions denied Ms Cates’ claims, saying there was “no evidence to suggest there is a widespread problem” and calling the evaluation “politically motivated”.
The fast-rising Tory MP has additionally been vocal about her opposition to transgender rights and has lobbied for harder steering for colleges. A former science trainer, Ms Cates has turn into a fixture at right-wing conferences, addressing the National Conservatism convention in May and the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship convention in October.
Other Conservative MPs below investigation by the Standards Commissioner embrace Bob Stewart, Marco Longhi and David Duguid, and former Tory Andrew Bridgen, who now sits as a Reclaim Party MP.