Senior Lib Dem Failed To Declare Donations

The deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, Simon Hughes, has apologised for failing to declare six donations to his local party.

Mr Hughes failed to properly declare the donations in the register of members’ interests and in a personal statement to the House of Commons, said: “I take full responsibility for these failures and apologise unreservedly to the House.”

A report by the Standards and Privileges Committee found that Mr Hughes had failed to register donations to his local party to a total of more than £30,000 over a six-year period.

Four were from IPA Consulting Ltd, one came from City Cruises Plc, and one from Southwark Metals Ltd.

The committee said it found no evidence of attempts to conceal the donations because they had been declared to the Electoral Commission.

However, it said that an MP with the experience of Mr Hughes should have properly updated parliament.

Mr Hughes said: “Although the commissioner found none of these breaches of the rules was intentional, I accept entirely the commissioner’s finding and the committee’s finding that I was not as attentive to these matters or as careful as I should have been, and therefore in these ways failed properly to observe the code of conduct and I did not sufficiently seek advice from the registrar.

“I will immediately register the outstanding interests as the committee recommends. I take full responsibility for these failures and I apologise unreservedly to the House.”

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Senior Lib Dem Failed To Declare Donations