Guido has returned from lunch, and can report that Nadine has been ordered to apologise to the House for failing to declare how much she earned from I’m a Celeb and failing to comply with the investigation into her. Turns out she paid her media work money into a company called Averbrook:
“We recommend that Ms Dorries register all payments in respect of her employment, whether or not they have been channelled through Averbrook Ltd or any other third party and apologise to the House by way of a Personal Statement.”
The report doesn’t hold back:
“I have offered Ms Dorries several opportunities to answer the questions I have put to her and I have reminded her of her obligation under the Code of Conduct to cooperate with my inquiry. It would have been open to her, if she could not herself provide the evidence I sought, to authorise ITV or her agent to do so. I note that the Committee on Standards and Privileges, reporting in 2010 on an inquiry into Ms Dorries’ conduct, endorsed the then Commissioner’s view that Ms Dorries had taken too long to provide evidence to the Commissioner and concluded that “that prompt, full and open responses to the Commissioner’s inquiries are of great importance” I am sorry that on this occasion Ms Dorries has chosen not to co-operate with my inquiry and I accordingly conclude that she is in breach of the Code of Conduct in this respect.”
Nads then threatened to personally sue parliamentary commissioner Kathryn Hudson:
“I should inform you that I feel your report amounts to a witch hunt and I have forwarded it on to legal professionals for further advice regarding my position in relation to the committee and you personally.
You are choosing to use a vexatious complaint made against me to reinforce your ‘on the hoof, make it up as you go’ policy. I will not tolerate that or any report which invokes libellous negative coverage against me as a result and will not hesitate to pursue you personally should that be the case.”
