Conservative MP breached parliamentary standards three times

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards has found that Conservative MP Karl McCartney was in breach of parliamentary code.

On three separate occasions the MP for Lincoln failed to declare links to family firm Moonlighting System.

Although he declared links with an IT and consultancy business listed as ML Systems as an unpaid director and shareholder, it was claimed that he was in fact associated with a different company, Moonlighting Systems, directed by his brother Kevin.

Following a letter from the Labour Party chair Anneliese Dodds, Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Kathryn Stone launched an inquiry and further evidenced the breach of code.

Ms Stone said that “Mr McCartney’s entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests was incorrect, and a breach of paragraph 14 of the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament.”

However she concluded that his breaches of the code were minor and could be resolved by correcting his entry to the Register of Members’ Interests, in bold italics.