Derek Conway apologises
By politics.co.uk staff
Tory MP Derek Conway has apologised to the Commons for paying his son higher than average wages for office work out of the public purse.
Mr Conway told the House he apologised “without qualification” and accepted “without any reservation” that he had breached House rules.
He also withdrew suggestions that Labour used the parliamentary standards judgment against him to distract attention from the cash-for-amendments scandal in the Lords.
Mr Conway has already had the Tory whip withdrawn from him after the first committee judgment against him – concerning his son Freddy.
The most recent judgment concerned work by his other son Henry.
Mr Conway has stated he will be stepping down as an MP at the next general election.
“Will you accept that I repeat without qualification the apology I’ve already given you in writing and say that I accept without any reservation the committee’s conclusion that I breached a rule of the House,” he asked committee chairman Sir George Young.
Sir George replied: “I’m very grateful to you. It means I can discard the next three pages of my speech.”
Mr Conway is MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup.
