Sunak faces new by-election as Bone faces removal from office

Peter Bone could be suspended from the House of Commons for six weeks Photo: KIRSTIE O'CONNOR/PA

Rishi Sunak looks fresh by-election on Wednesday, with the House of Commons poised to approve the six-week suspension of former minister Peter Bone.

MPs are expected to back a proposal that would see the former deputy leader of the House of Commons confirmed he would have to seek recall in his constituency constituency.

The move comes less than a week after the Conservatives suffered a historic defeat to Labor in the Tamworth and Mid-Bedfordshire by-elections.

Mr Bone, the Wellingborough MP, was stripped of his Conservative whip following allegations of bullying and sexual harassment against a member of staff.

He reportedly once exposed his genitals to a staffer who was in his 20s years when the couple shared a hotel room during a work trip to Madrid.

Denied the findings

He denied the findings of an independent parliamentary review panel which claimed that “none of the allegations of misconduct against me were ever made.” place.»

MPs will vote on Wednesday to approve the standards watchdog's recommendation that Mr Bone be suspended from the Commons for six years. weeks.

Any sanction for more than 10 days automatically triggers a recall petition, which, if signed by more than 10 per cent of voters, leads to a by-election.

Labour is confident that that threshold will be reached in Wellingborough, giving them another chance to hurt Sunak even more at the ballot box.

The market town in Northamptonshire has long been considered a safe Tory seat with Mr Bone winning it by a comfortable margin of 18,540 votes in 2019.

But that majority is smaller than the one overturned by Sir Keir Starmer's party just last week in Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire.

Solid blue place.

Labour last held the constituency under Sir Tony Blair and lost it in the 2005 election.

The prospect of another by-election in a solid blue seat is a nightmare for No 10 as it tries to calm down. There are growing fears of a Conservative collapse next year.

Philip Davies, Shipton's Conservative MP, admitted on Tuesday the party was in a «bad situation» but insisted Mr Sunak can still make a difference.

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“It would be like Lazarus if he took us back to where he took power a year ago. But if anyone can do it, I think he can do it,” he told GB News.