Shaun Bailey should turn down peerage, top Conservative MP says
Shaun Bailey should turn down peerage amid revelation of his lockdown-busting Christmas party, top Conservative MP says
- Tory MP Tobias Ellwood says Shaun Bailey should consider rejecting his peerage
- The former mayoral candidate was filmed at Christmas ‘mingle and jingle’ party
Former Conservative London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey should consider rejecting his peerage after a video of his Christmas ‘jingle and mingle’ party emerged, a senior Tory said yesterday.
Lord Bailey, who was made a life peer in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours, has apologised after footage showed Tory activists dancing and drinking at the event during Covid lockdown in 2020.
Asked if Mr Bailey should think about turning down his peerage, Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood said: ‘Absolutely he needs to consider that, if I’m frank.
When the photo was published a year later in December 2021, Mr Bailey quit as chairman of the London Assembly’s police and crime committee.
‘You can’t simply have prime ministers stuffing the Lords with their friends’.
Last night the Liberal Democrats asked the Forfeiture Committee to look into the ‘potential withdrawal’ of any honours bestowed by Mr Johnson.
The party’s Cabinet Office spokesman Christine Jardine said ‘the latest revelations had ‘further deepened public anger’.
It comes as a prominent critic of Boris Johnson last night launched an inquiry into appointments to the House of Lords, following controversy over his resignation honours list.
MP William Wragg, chairman of the Commons public administration committee
William Wragg, chairman of the Commons public administration committee, said an inquiry was needed to ensure the current rules enabled an ‘effective and trusted’ second chamber.
He said the Lords played an ‘important constitutional role’ but there has ‘been concern about its size, membership and the appointments process’.
While recommendations have been made, Mr Wragg added ‘that this inquiry seeks to consider the immediate questions, that cannot wait for such reform’.
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