Voters should be able to elect racists and women-haters if they want, a Tory former minister has claimed.
Sir Desmond Swayne defended electors’ right to send to people with offensive views to Westminster ahead of a debate on plans to shake up anti-sleaze rules.
The New Forest West MP said he hoped his constituents would never elect a racist or a misogynist - but he defended their right to do so.
Sir Desmond, who previously “blacked up” as soul singer James Brown for a fancy dress party, was speaking during a debate triggered by the Commons Standards Committee.
He said: "The principle of democracy is undermined by the requirement that we may be required to subscribe to behaviours to promote certain attitudes.
"I hope that my constituents never elect a racist or a misogynist, but they have a right to do so."
Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg replied: "I think he shows there is much to debate on the report and, as I've said, I think it's important that this House does debate these matters."
A Downing Street spokesman said Boris Johnson had not seen the comments but said the PM had previously made it clear that "there was no place for racism whatsoever in our society and that remains his position".
It came as MPs debated a proposed reform of the standards system governing MPs' conduct, which includes recommendations for an overhaul of rules on second jobs.
Rules around ministers' gifts and hospitality could be tightened and MPs banned from providing paid parliamentary advice, consultancy or strategic services.
The committee published its wide-ranging proposals this week in the wake of the Owen Paterson affair.
The Tory former minister was found to have misused his position to benefit two companies he worked for.
The Prime Minister's botched attempt to defend Mr Paterson dented his authority - who later resigned - and fuelled calls for a shake-up.
The plans include “introducing a new requirement that a Member must have a written contract for any outside work which makes explicit that their duties cannot include lobbying ministers, Members or public officials, or providing advice about how to lobby or influence Parliament, and that their employer will give them an undertaking not to ask them to do so”.
It also signals a fresh crackdown on second jobs, following revelations former Attorney General Geoffrey Cox earned a million pounds a year as a QC, in addition to being an MP.
Labour 's Chris Bryant, chairman of Parliament's Standards Committee, said: “The Government and opposition have both said that they believe it right that changes should proceed on a cross-party basis.
"We agree and believe that the best way of doing that is through the formal processes of the committee."
