Two Norfolk MPs under investigation over suspected rules breaches
Rupert Lowe and Clive Lewis are being investigated over financial interests
Two Norfolk MPs are being probed by the parliamentary watchdog over suspected breaches of rules.
Clive Lewis, Labour MP for Norwich South, and Rupert Lowe, independent MP for Great Yarmouth, are both under investigation over their entries in the register of members’ interests.
Under parliamentary rules, MPs are required to record all financial interests which might be reasonably regarded as influencing their actions, words or votes.
The investigation into Mr Lewis, who has been MP since 2015, was opened on June 23 and relates to the “late registration” of an interest.
In January, Mr Lewis was found have breached register of interest rules after failing to declare a Crowdfunder which provided him with legal support.
Mr Lowe, who previously represented the Reform party before being kicked out amid a bullying probe, is being investigated by the parliamentary standards commissioner for allegedly failing to register interests.
The BBC has reported it relates to hundreds of thousands of pounds raised in donations to fund his independent “Rape Gang Inquiry”.
More than £600,000 has been donated to a Crowdfunder started by Lowe in March to support a national inquiry into gang-based sexual exploitation across the UK.
None of this had been declared on the MP’s register when the investigation was opened on Thursday.
Under parliamentary rules, MPs must declare any donation from a single source over £1,500 – or more than £300 in earnings or gifts – within 28 days.
It comes after George Freeman, Conservative MP for Mid Norfolk, announced he would be referring himself to the watchdog amid claims that he was paid by a company that helped him write questions to government departments.
Mr Freeman has denied any wrongdoing and claims the scandal is the result of a “targeted personal attack”.
He referred himself to the commissioner for standards last month and has been suspended from his government trade envoy role while the probe is ongoing.