← Back to House of Commons Debates
Standards
11 May 2020
Lead MP
Jacob Rees-Mogg
Debate Type
General Debate
Tags
Standards & Ethics
Other Contributors: 2
At a Glance
Jacob Rees-Mogg raised concerns about standards in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
The debate concerns the suspension of my right hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth West (Conor Burns), as reported by the Committee on Standards and investigated by Kathryn Stone, Commissioner for Standards. The motion seeks to approve the Fourth Report of the Committee on Standards which recommends a seven-day suspension from service for Mr Burns due to his breach of the House of Commons Code of Conduct.
Valerie Vaz
Lab
Walsall South
I agree with the Leader of the House’s statement regarding Conor Burns. The right hon. Member has accepted that he made a rash and inappropriate action during trade negotiations and has apologised in writing to both Mr Speaker and the complainant.
Chris Bryant
Lab
Rhondda
The Committee on Standards concluded that Conor Burns used his parliamentary position to intimidate a member of the public for personal gain, which is a serious breach of the Code of Conduct. The recommendation was for him to be suspended from service for seven days and to apologise in writing.
▸
Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About House of Commons Debates
House of Commons debates take place in the main chamber of the House of Commons. These debates cover a wide range of topics including government policy, legislation, and current affairs. MPs from all parties can participate, question ministers, and hold the government accountable for its decisions.