Shaun Bailey peerage may very well be unsure, counsel senior Tory MPs
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enior Conservative MPs on Tuesday recommended that Shaun Bailey’s peerage may very well be unsure after the Met Police confirmed detectives had been scrutinising video of his workers partying throughout lockdown.
The former London Tory mayoral candidate was included in Boris Johnson’s controversial resignation honours record earlier than additional proof of the Christmas “jingle and mingle” occasion at Conservative Campaign Headquarters throughout Covid restrictions emerged.
Cabinet Minister Mel Stride mentioned there have been “mechanisms” to stop somebody coming into the House of Lords, including that the Metropolitan Police had been “looking into” the occasions.
The Work and Pensions Secretary informed BBC Radio 4’s Today: “They will no doubt come to their conclusions.
“There are then mechanisms involving the Forfeiture Committee that can lead to changes to honours that have been given in the past. But I don’t want to start pre-judging that process.”
Tory MP Tobias Ellwood known as for Mr Bailey to think about handing again the peerage saying there are “big questions” surrounding him being given the honour.
“Absolutely he needs to consider that, if I’m frank,” Mr Ellwood mentioned.
He added that Rishi Sunak ought to contemplate stepping in on the difficulty of peerages.
“You can’t simply have Prime Ministers stuffing the Lords with their friends,” he mentioned.
Mr Bailey has apologised “unreservedly” after a video emerged of his staff dancing and singing.
Only pictures of the occasion in December 2020 had beforehand been seen publicly.
He mentioned the occasion “obviously turned into something once I left and I didn’t realise that” and it was for “others to decide” about whether or not he ought to be stripped of the peerage.
Both Mr Bailey and Tory aide Ben Mallet, who was handed an OBE in Mr Johnson’s resignation honours, attended the gathering.