Veteran MP cleared of flouting Covid-19 rules

Image caption,

Allegations made against Sir Bernard Jenkin and three other MPs have not been upheld

By Simon Dedman & Lewis Adams

BBC News, Essex

An MP accused of flouting Covid-19 rules during a "wine and nibbles" event has been cleared of wrongdoing.

Conservative MP for Harwich and North Essex, Sir Bernard Jenkin, was alleged to have attended an event on the Parliamentary estate in December 2020.

A report confirmed a WhatsApp invite to birthday drinks had been sent by his then-wife Baroness Jenkin.

But it concluded the event was socially-distanced with "business and social elements".

The report followed the Metropolitan Police closing an investigation into the alleged breaches of Covid restrictions.

The allegations were also made against:

Deputy Speaker Dame Eleanor Laing, Conservative MP for Epping Forest
Miriam Cates, Conservative MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge
Virginia Crosby, Conservative MP for Ynys Mon

The complaints against all four MPs were not upheld in the report by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards (PCS).

Image caption,

Conservative MP for Ynys Mon, Virginia Crosbie, apologised for attending the event

It was first reported by the Guido Fawkes blog that Baroness Jenkin had sent out an invite by WhatsApp for birthday drinks in Dame Eleanor's conference room.

The PCS report revealed wine – "probably not exceeding two bottles" – and nibbles were available at the event.

However, it determined the gathering was part of an ongoing series of meetings held in varying degrees of formality, organised by the Women2Win network.

Daniel Greenberg, Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, concluded: "I do not have evidence to justify a finding of breach of the code of conduct."