David Warburton receives proxy vote after no-confidence motion from Frome Town Council
The MP for Somerton and Frome was suspended for allegations of misconduct in April 2022
The MP for Somerton and Frome has received a vote by proxy - meaning he'll be allowed to vote in Parliament for the first time since April last year.
David Warburton, who has represented the constituency since 2015, was suspended from the Conservative Party in April 2022 after allegations of misconduct were circulated.
It's meant that he's been unable to vote in Parliamentary debates since.
10 months on from the suspension, a vote of no-confidence was unanimously passed by Frome Town Council - who say constituents are not being represented in Parliament.
The motion was brought about by Cllr Fiona Barrows and Cllr Mel Usher - which were backed by other members of the independent authority.
Cllr Barrows told the meeting that the Town Council very rarely comments on national matters, or those outside Frome but Cllrs have grown increasingly concerned about the lack of representation Frome has in Westminster.
Since the vote, Mr Warburton applied, and subsequently gained a proxy vote for Parliament.
In a statement issued, Mr Warburton says he "entirely understands the concern of some in Frome that I have been prevented from attending or voting in Parliament" since the allegations surfaced last year.
He adds the investigation into the claims are ongoing, saying "This, I agree, is far, far too long and it’s an immensely frustrating condition of the investigation process that I am not allowed to comment in any way on the investigation until it is concluded".
Mr Warburton says he has dealt with over 1,000 pieces of casework from people in Frome in the last year, and corresponded on more than 500 policy questions.