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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Rachael Burford

Recall petition opens in disgraced Wellingborough MP Peter Bone's constituency

A recall petition to decide whether disgraced Tory MP Peter Bone should lose his seat opened on Wednesday morning.

The Wellingborough MP bullied a member of staff and on one occasion “trapped” him in a Madrid hotel room and exposed himself, an independent parliamentary panel found.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards upheld five allegations of bullying and one of sexual misconduct against the prominent Brexiteer.

Mr Bone has denied any wrongdoing.

The recall petition was prompted by his six-week suspension from the House of Commons for breaching the code of conduct for MPs.

He was also suspended from the Conservative Party.

The petition opened at 9am on Wednesday and will close in six weeks time on December 19.

If 10 per cent of voters in his constituency sign it, the seat becomes vacant - and a by-election would be called.

Mr Bone, 71, won his seat with an 18,500 majority in 2019.

The Tories have admitted any by-election in the seat would be "difficult" for the party.

The majority is smaller than those the Conservatives had in both Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire, which were both lost to Labour in by-elections earlier this month.

Mr Bone, who was appointed deputy leader of the House of Commons by Boris Johnson, has said the allegations against him are “false and untrue” and “without foundation”.

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