MP accuses Cleveland PCC of theft

An MP has used parliamentary privilege to claim a police and crime commissioner was “sacked” by a former employer for “systematic theft”.

Shadow secretary of state for employment Rights and protections Andy McDonald, the Labour MP for Middlesbrough made the allegation against Steve Turner, the Conservative police and crime commissioner for Cleveland, and said he ought to resign immediately.

He accused Turner of being involved in the “systematic theft” of goods from Safeway supermarket, where he worked in the early 2000s.

Parliamentary privilege enables MPs to speak in the House of Commons without the threat of being sued for defamation.

Mr Turner said he would call on Mr McDonald to retract the allegations, which he dismissed as “unsubstantiated”.

Mr McDonald made the accusation via an intervention during a Commons debate linked to the Elections Bill.