An inquiry by the Parliamentary Standards Committee has found that over a period of six years Simon Hughes failed to register six donations to his local party which were linked to him. They say he didn’t not breach lobbying rules, but some of it looks pretty bad:

“The director of Southwark Metals Ltd, a company based in Southwark, asked for guidance in contacting the local council on the development of some land, in which the company had an interest. Mr Hughes made inquiries about this land in 2011.”

The director of Southwark Metals Ltd is a LibDem donor.

The committee conclude:

“we are concerned that a Member of Mr Hughes’s seniority and experience should have failed to observe The Code of Conduct over such a long period and failed to seek advice from the Registrar. We recommend that Mr Hughes apologise by way of a Personal Statement to the House.”

Awkward.

UPDATE: Hughes: “I take full responsibility for these failures and I apologise unreservedly to the House.”