Speaking from the G20 summit in China Theresa May said people look for 'confidence in their politicians'

MP then went to Commons where he asked a question about Britons who have fled to fight for ISIS in Syria

of 23 years Maria Fernandes appears to be standing by husband and left house with him today


The Prime Minister today took a swipe at Keith Vaz as the scandal-hit politician broke cover for the first time since he was exposed for paying rent boys for sex.

Addressing the lurid allegations from the G20 summit in China, Theresa May said 'people look for confidence in their politicians' and that it is the duty of MPs 'to provide for those who elect us'.

Mr Vaz, 59, was today told he is 'not fit' for office as 1,850 joined a Facebook group calling on him to quit immediately. But in the face of hostile criticism it was business as usual for the Leicester East MP, who headed straight to Parliament to address his fellow MPs.

The Labour politician looked tired as he left his north London home with his wife of 23 years Maria Fernandes, who appears to be standing by her husband despite the alleged sex scandal.

He later appeared in the Commons to ask a question about Britons going off to fight for ISIS in Syria. One observer on Twitter said: 'Vaz was speaking in the Commons as if nothing's happened'.

And fighting back further the shamed MP threatened libel action against a Tory MP who called on him to resign and urged police to investigate him.

Back in public: Keith Vaz left home with his wife Maria Fernandes today - the first time he had been seen in public since his alleged use of rent boys was exposed

Back to work: Keith Vaz walked into the Commons this afternoon, pictured, and sat in his usual seat as he refused to quit

Business as usual: Mr Vaz asked a question about passports in a show of defiance to critics who want him to resign

Defiant: There was complete silence from MPs as Mr Vaz spoke to MPs in the House Of Commons earlier today

There was complete silence from MPs as he spoke to the Commons and congratulated Amber Rudd on being appointed Home Secretary, with some claiming he may still try to remain Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee.

Speaking in a calm voice with no hint of the scandal that has embroiled him, he referred to the case of Siddhartha Dhar, who was alleged to have appeared in a propaganda video released by ISIS after fleeing Britain in 2014 despite having been arrested six times.

Mr Vaz said: 'Will she follow the advice of Mark Rowley, the head of counter terrorism, and expect suspects to hand over their passports as a precondition for bail?'

There was silence as Ms Rudd thanked Mr Vaz for 'raising this very important matter' and added: 'It was a very distressing case where he was able to go away, on bail, and go away to do such damage and join Daesh out in Syria'.

He then stayed for more than an hour where he asked a question about Yemen.

Clinging on: The Facebook group 'P45 for Keith Vaz' is filled with people calling on the MP to resign immediately - he has not

Under pressure: Mr Vaz looked serious as he got into a taxi with his wife, seen right, which had been loaded with suitcases

Back to work: Mr Vaz looked preoccupied as he left his London home in a car this morning before returning to the Commons

Calm: The politician, carrying just a mobile phone and an iPad, looked stony faced on the steps of his north London home

Mr Vaz spoke briefly to his wife as the pair got into a waiting car outside their £2.2million north London home

The married father of two has been urged to 'do the honourable thing' and resign from Parliament after he allegedly paid male escorts to attend a sordid party at his London 'sex flat'.

The Facebook group 'P45 for Keith Vaz' is filled with people calling on the MP to resign immediately.

Mr Vaz has apologised to his wife and children for the 'hurt and distress' he caused them after he was allegedly filmed meeting two rent boys at his flat where he pretended to be a washing machine salesman called 'Jim'.

KEITH VAZ THREATENS TO SUE CRITICAL RIVAL MP Keith Vaz has threatened to sue a rival MP he has accused of 'spreading highly defamatory scuttlebutt'. Tory Andrew Bridgen, right, has received a letter from law firm Howard Kennedy. It warns the Tory MP, who represents the neighbouring North West Leicestershire constituency, he is being put 'on formal notice that if this shabby behaviour continues our client will no longer turn a blind eye'. Mr Bridgen has been highly critical of the Labour MP and is expected to write to Scotland Yard calling for Mr Vaz to be investigated for misconduct in a public office and conspiracy to supply controlled substances. A source close to Mr Bridgen said the legal letter was 'desperate'. 'It's an attempt to close down any further investigation and suppress information. It's a badly worded, hurried and fairly shabby letter.' Advertisement

A series of texts allegedly showed he asked the Eastern European sex workers to bring poppers – sex-enhancing drugs – to a liaison.

In one meeting with the pair, Mr Vaz is said to have offered to pay for cocaine if it was brought to a sex party - but stressed he did not want any himself.

Mr Vaz, who took part in a safe sex campaign in his Leicester East constituency last year, apparently told the male escorts that during an encounter with another prostitute they all knew, the man had forgotten to bring a condom but they had sex anyway.

Fellow Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen has said he would be contacting the parliamentary standards watchdog to demand a full inquiry, and said the police should also investigate.

Today Mr Bridgen was sent a letter from Mr Vaz's lawyers warning him they might sue him.

The letter said: 'You have been maliciously spreading false and highly defamatory scuttlebutt about him. We are writing to put you on formal notice that if this shabby behaviour continues our client will no longer turn a blind eye to this and take steps to sue you personally'

Silver Star, a diabetes charity set up by the Leicester East MP, has also brought in law firm Carter Ruck as his fightback continues.

A source close to Mr Bridgen said the legal letter was 'desperate'.

'It's an attempt to close down any further investigation and suppress information. It's a badly worded, hurried and fairly shabby letter.'

Mr Bridgen had told the Mail Mr Vaz was not a 'fit and proper person' to remain an MP and said the police should investigate.

He said: 'I think misconduct in public office and conspiracy to supply a controlled substance - they're both criminal offences.

'I really think this is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Keith Vaz's activities and I think there is a lot more to come out about him.

'He certainly should resign as chairman of the home affairs select committee and quite honestly I have long been of the opinion that Keith Vaz is not a fit person to be a member of parliament.

Relaxed: Mr Vaz is covertly filmed on his sofa during the alleged encounter involving two Eastern European sex workers

Intimate: Keith Vaz with one of the Eastern European escorts at his £390,000 flat in north London, 10 minutes from his family home

Deal: The MP's x-rated text message exchange with the escorts - Mr Vaz's alleged texts are in grey

Encounter: MP Keith Vaz, who told the men he was a washing machine salesman called Jim, leaves his north London flat after the alleged sexual rendezvous with the rent boys on August 27

'His position is completely untenable and he brings Parliament into disrepute by hanging on like this when he should do the decent thing and resign.

'But I don't think Keith Vaz knows the decent thing to do'.

He said that he has been 'dropping information' to Leicestershire Police over the past 18 months.

He said: 'I would call on the people of Leicester who know an awful lot about Mr Vaz's various activities to come forward now to the police and the authorities and let's see what he has really been doing.

'I believe that these disclosures are merely the tip of the iceberg of his sexual transgressions.'

As the Labour MP for Leicester East clings to power his constituents are also unhappy.

City cafe owner Sammy Davies said: 'No one wants him representing us for a moment longer.

'He's a dirty, pompous rat and has brought shame on the good name of Leicester'.

Retired B&Q shop assistant John Worthington, 63, said: 'I'm ashamed to say he is my MP. Hopefully not much longer. He cannot stay in power'.

Mark Jordan wrote: 'He is dodgy and he has always been dodgy. it is time for him to go and never be involved in Public life again in any capacity.

Stephen Laycock said: 'GO NOW VAZ ... as a politician you represent NO-ONE !!!'

Theresa May also appeared to take aim at Mr Vaz over the lurid allegations.

Speaking at the G20 summit in China she said: 'I have always been clear throughout my political career, I think what is important for people is to feel they're able to have confidence in politicians. That is what I think we all have a duty to provide for those who elect us.

'What Keith does is for Keith, and any decisions he wishes to make are for him.

'But I think overall what people look for is confidence in their politicians.'

Upset: More than 1,850 people have joined the P45 for Keith Vaz group on Facebook and have produced these memes based on him calling himself a washing machine salesman and the perilous position he faces as an MP

Invite: The rent boys were paid by bank transfer following the session in a £390,000 flat (pictured) he owns near his £2.2million family home in Edgware, north London

The Charity Commission is also facing calls to investigate whether cash from Mr Vaz's charity was used to pay for sex with rent boys.

Two deposits of £150 were paid last month into an account by a man linked to Silver Star, a diabetes charity set up by the Leicester East MP when he developed the illness, The Sunday Mirror alleged.

Scandal: This is the door of the flat where Mr Vaz is accused of paying men for sex

There is no suggestion that the man knew the real purpose of the payments.

Dr Malde Modhwadia, a former trustee of Silver Star, told the Mail: 'Everything is done in accordance with Charity Commission rules. I can guarantee that nothing illicit or illegal happened, as far as I am aware.

'If he allegedly paid money from Silver Star to the prostitute, that cannot be correct. Silver Star only pays money with an invoice and when we know what the money is for, so as far as that matter is concerned, it can't be right.'

Referring to the sex allegations surrounding Mr Vaz, Dr Modhwadia said: 'I have nothing to do with his private life. I have known him since he was elected, we are friendly but I don't know about these allegations.

'There is nothing wrong with being gay but [constituents may feel] he has been leading a double life. But he's a good guy, he helps constituents. We don't want the charity to be associated with this.'

Asked about a member of Silver Star staff allegedly paying money into an account, he said: 'No, that can't be true. The clear instruction is, you can't pay cash to anybody. Petty cash is also accounted for.

'If that allegation is true I would be shocked. That would be silly. He had his own money.'

The Charity Commission said: 'The Commission has asked journalists to forward any evidence they have to determine whether there is a regulatory role for the Commission.'

Mr Vaz has refused to step down immediately as a Labour MP or from his position as chairman of the Commons home affairs committee.

He said he would wait until tomorrow before revealing whether he would continue in his key role on the panel monitoring crime, migration and sexual exploitation. And he even blamed the scandal on the Sunday newspaper that uncovered his hypocrisy and sordid sex life.

Love of the limelight: He performs with a belly dancer at the Labour Party conference in 2014

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn appeared to back Mr Vaz last night, saying: 'It should be treated as a private matter.

'He is going to meet the home affairs committee and discuss with them what his role will be in the future. I'm not sure what that decision will be but I leave it to him to decide on that.

KEITH VAZ VS THE PRESS Keith Vaz has blamed the scandal on the Sunday newspaper that uncovered his hypocrisy and sordid sex life. This is not the first time the Labour MP has taken aim at the Press. In December 2012 the politician publicly critisised an Australian radio station over the death of nurse Jacintha Sadanha, who killed herself after transferring a hoax phone call from two DJs about the Duchess of Cambridge. Mr Vaz, who acted as a spokesman for Mrs Sadanha's family, condemned the response of Southern Cross Austereo, parent company of Sydney radio station 2Day FM where the two DJs worked. He said: 'There has been no written apology, no request for a meeting with the family and no attempt to travel to the United Kingdom to express contrition.' In 2008 Mr Vaz unsuccessfully complained to the Press watchdog over an article that appeared in the Daily Telegraph about a 'reward' he allegedly expected to receive in exchange for backing the measure to hold terror suspects for up to 42 days without charge. The newspaper printed a handwritten letter sent by then chief whip Geoff Hoon to Mr Vaz the day after the vote, saying that he expected the MP's support to be 'appropriately rewarded'. Mr Vaz wrote to the Press Complaints Commission about the story, complaining it was inaccurate, that the letter had been obtained by subterfuge and that he had not been contacted before publication. The PCC did not uphold the complaint. In 2000 Mr Vaz, then the Minister for Europe, criticised what he perceived to be 'xenophobic' Press coverage over the UK's membership of the EU. Advertisement

'He hasn't committed any crime that I know of. As far as I'm aware it is a private matter and I will obviously talk to Keith.'

Mr Vaz, whose political career has been dogged by scandal, has previously said he is 'not convinced' men who pay for sex should be prosecuted. According to the Sunday Mirror, the 59-year-old politician told two male prostitutes: 'We need to get this party started' as they discussed unprotected sex.

In a series of texts reproduced by the newspaper he allegedly asked the Eastern Europeans to bring poppers – sex-enhancing drugs – to a liaison. In one meeting with the pair, Mr Vaz is said to have offered to pay for cocaine if it was brought to a sex party. He stressed he did not want any himself.

The rent boys were paid by bank transfer following the session in a £390,000 flat he owns near his £2.2million family home in Edgware, north London. There was no answer at his house yesterday. Last night a string of MPs called on Mr Vaz to step down as committee chairman. Police and the Charity Commission indicated they would investigate if complaints were made about his conduct.

Mr Vaz failed to adequately explain how he paid almost £400,000 in cash for his 'sex flat'. And he faces questions over suggestions that a man linked to his charity Silver Star was asked to pay money to male prostitutes on his behalf – allegations that he denies.

According to the Sunday Mirror, Mr Vaz tried to hide his identity from two male escorts by claiming to be a washing machine salesman.

Asked by the men about his job, he reportedly said: 'These are industrial washing machines, that I sell. Industrial. For big – for hotels.' Later one of the escorts asked Mr Vaz: 'What's your name, by the way?' Mr Vaz replied: 'Jim'.

A senior member of the home affairs committee said Mr Vaz's position was untenable: 'We have oversight of the police and he's talking about poppers and cocaine. He can't stay on.'

In a statement, Mr Vaz attacked the Sunday Mirror for exposing his sex life. He said: 'It is deeply troubling that a national newspaper should have paid individuals who have acted in this way. I have referred these allegations to my solicitor Mark Stephens of Howard Kennedy who will consider them carefully and advise me accordingly. At this time I do not want there to be any distraction from the important work the home affairs select committee undertakes so well. I will of course inform committee members first of my plans when we meet on Tuesday. My decision has been based entirely on what is in the best interests of the committee which I have had the privilege of chairing for the last nine years.'

When the scandal broke on Saturday night he had said he would step down as chairman.

Mr Vaz's committee produced its first ever report on the legality of prostitution only this summer. In July, he said: 'The criminalisation of sex workers should therefore end.' The Charity Commission said it was 'aware of the allegations made regarding an individual linked to the charity Silver Star'.

Fellow Labour MP Jess Phillips suggested that using prostitutes was 'sexual exploitation'.

She tweeted: 'I don't give a toss what people do in their private lives, I do give a toss about sexual exploitation. Nothing funny about today's news.'

Disgraced Labour MP Simon Danczuk, suspended in a scandal caused by him sending sexually explicit message to a 17-year-old, expressed sympathy for Mr Vaz.

He told LBC Radio: 'He's clearly being struggling with his sexuality. It won't be easy in terms of his family.'

Riddle of the 'loan' that let shamed Labour MP Keith Vaz pay £400k cash for luxury 'sex flat'

Keith Vaz last night could not explain exactly how he paid almost £400,000 in cash for his ‘sex flat’.

The millionaire MP purchased the two-bedroom property earlier this year without the assistance of a mortgage. Land Registry documents show he is the sole owner.

The sparsely-furnished apartment, a ten-minute walk from the £2.2million five-bedroom house he shares with his wife, was the alleged venue for a sordid party with two rent boys.

'Sex Flat': This is the block of luxury flats where Keith Vaz allegedly met two male escorts

Confusion: The Mail spoke to the occupants of the Uppingham Road house the MP says is about to be sold - the family seemed unaware of any sale

Explanation: Mr Vaz, pictured with his wife Maria holding son Luke, said the loan on his new flat would be repaid once Mr Vaz’s house on Uppingham Road in Leicester – which he inherited from his mother Merlyn, right, who died in 2003

In June, Mr Vaz put down £387,500 in cash to buy the flat – more than four times his £89,951 salary as a senior backbench MP.

Last night the explanation of how he afforded it begged more questions than answers. His lawyer Mark Stephens said the property had been bought with the help of a ‘personal loan’.

Asked if this loan was from a friend, or a bank, Mr Stephens replied it was a ‘traditional lender’.

He said the loan would be repaid once Mr Vaz’s house on Uppingham Road in Leicester – which he inherited from his mother who died in 2003 – had been sold. ‘It has been on the market for three months and has been sold subject to contract,’ said Mr Stephens.

He said the Labour MP had waited to sell the house, 13 years after his mother died, to get the ‘best price’.

The Mail spoke to the occupants of the Uppingham Road house, a family who seemed unaware of any sale. They said they moved in two months ago and had a one-year tenancy, paying £750 a month via an agency.

When this was put to Mr Stephens, he said the current occupants were definitely leaving in three months and there was no agreement in place for them to stay another 12 months.

The Mail was unable to find any estate agent that had advertised the property for sale, and a check of Land Registry documents still show Mr Vaz as the owner, although it can take several weeks for official records to be updated. It remains unclear why Mr Vaz opted for a ‘personal loan’ to buy his new apartment in London, rather than a mortgage.

Family home: This is the detached house owned by Mr Vaz and his wife Maria in Middlesex

Neighbours of the new flat, in a block containing 20 apartments built by Barratt, said that they had never seen the MP.

One said: ‘The flats have only just gone up and they’re pretty expensive so it’s hard to believe that something like that would happen here.’

Keith Vaz was caught meeting two Eastern European male prostitutes, believed to be Poles, for sex

A ten-minute walk from the flat, past a Tesco and a McDonald’s, is the Vaz family’s large detached home in Stanmore, Middlesex.

It is jointly owned by the MP and his wife Maria Fernandes. They purchased it for £1.15million in 2005 and have a mortgage with First Direct bank.

Mr Vaz’s complex finances have long been the subject of scrutiny. The Cambridge-educated socialist once had half a million pounds in the bank, leading Scotland Yard detectives who probed his finances to suggest the money was of a ‘suspicious nature’.

Mr Vaz has bought and sold a string of properties in London and his Leicester constituency.

He has always strenuously denied any wrongdoing and has never faced any criminal charges over the money, which he said was ‘not suspicious in any way’ and explained by a house sale and ‘a drawdown of equity’. His MP’s salary is £74,926 and he receives a £15,025 top-up as a select committee chairman.

On the MPs’ register of interests, he declares occasional outside income from writing newspaper articles or making TV appearances.

In 2012, it emerged he held almost £500,000 in a series of mystery bank accounts.

He had seven or eight mortgages between 1996 and 2001, at one stage juggling arrangements from four different lenders at once.

In October 2008, Mr Vaz was alleged to have made mortgage payments totalling £26,500 – more than seven times higher than his income as a backbench MP. At the time, when banks typically lent only about three to four times a buyer’s earnings, this was £45,066 a year, and his wife ran a small firm of solicitors, reportedly earning an estimated £60,000 a year.

In June, Mr Vaz put down £387,500 in cash to buy his flat – more than four times his £89,951 salary as a senior backbench MP

Scotland Yard examined seven high street bank accounts belonging to Mr Vaz and his wife. There is no suggestion that she has ever done anything wrong.

Detectives found that over a six-year period, almost £500,000 was apparently deposited in the MP’s accounts – in addition to his salary between 1996 and 2001, which varied from £43,860 to £82,697.

In one HSBC account, £28,959 in cash was paid in during a single year. One payment was made into a personal account by Mapesbury Communications Ltd, a firm run by Mr Vaz’s wife.

In the MPs’ expenses scandal, exposed in 2009, it emerged Mr Vaz had ‘flipped’ his designated second home from his London flat to his Leicester constituency office. This was not illegal, but he was asked to pay back a four-figure sum.

Mr Vaz has always denied doing anything wrong, saying all his finances are above board and explained by property deals.

We need to get this party started: What Keith Vaz told Eastern European rent boys filmed during sex sting

By Sam Greenhill and Claire Ellicott

As the rent boys undressed, one asked Keith Vaz: 'What's your name, by the way?'

'Jim', replied the chairman of the Commons home affairs committee. He spelt it out: 'J-I-M', telling the young men he was a washing machine salesman.

But the ruse by the MP for Leicester East was pointless because at least one of the escorts already knew his true identity.

Rendez vous: The encounter took place nine days ago, on August 27. But according to the newspaper it was not the first time Mr Vaz had met the pair

And as the married father of two casually discussed drugs, unprotected sex and money with the male escorts, their conversation was being secretly recorded.

Yesterday the Sunday Mirror published extracts from the extraordinary exchange. It casts new light on the man whose committee monitors crime, immigration and drugs policy on behalf of the nation.

Mr Vaz has deplored the 'dangerous' cocaine trade, but allegedly offered to buy some for an Eastern European prostitute.

Later he was heard exhorting: 'We need to get this party started.'

INTIMATE TEXTS AND CASH PAYMENTS

The encounter took place nine days ago, on August 27.

But according to the newspaper it was not the first time Mr Vaz had met the pair, who are believed to be Polish. Earlier that month, two cash deposits of £150 each were allegedly paid into a bank account.

On August 4, Mr Vaz is said to have texted one of the escorts that he would send him £100 as a gift. When asked to make it £150, he replied: 'OK but next time you and [the other man] see me, you better be extra nice.'

The MP requested bank details and on August 5 a £150 payment was made, with the reference 'Painting', said the newspaper.

The second payment was made on August 24. In a text, Mr Vaz allegedly discussed setting up a foursome involving the two Poles and a Romanian, saying: '£150 for you, me, bf (boyfriend) and Romanian.'

Then on August 26, he allegedly texted the rent boy asking him to get poppers, the legal drug amyl nitrate taken to enhance sex. He texted: 'Try and pick up some poppers.'

On the afternoon of August 27, texts between Mr Vaz and one escort were exchanged to set up the sex party. Suggesting it start at 11pm, Mr Vaz demanded: 'I want a good time please.' The MP went on to ask if a Romanian rent boy who was supposed to join them liked poppers and whether he spoke English.

Mr Vaz married his wife Maria Fernandes in London and the couple have a son and a daughter

'I WANT A GOOD TIME, PLEASE'

At 11.30pm on August 27, Mr Vaz met the two male prostitutes at his £400,000 flat, a ten-minute walk from his family home. Both men were wearing shorts and T-shirts, and the 59-year-old MP sported black trousers and a short-sleeved shirt.

He began by asking them the whereabouts of the Romanian escort. They told him he had been paid £900 by another customer, to which the MP allegedly replied: 'Really? That's fantastic. I hope he's giving you some of the money.'

Mr Vaz, who famously welcomed Romanian arrivals at Luton airport when the EU expanded in 2014, asked to see pictures of the escort who has failed to show up.

The MP then suggested using the mobile phone app Grindr to find someone else.

Grindr searches for gay men nearby, using mobile phones' GPS data, and Mr Vaz wanted to know if there were any other users in the same block as his apartment. 'See who's in the building. There must be someone around here,' said the MP.

When shown the profile of an Asian man, the MP allegedly said: 'He is fit', and on being shown another person's profile, he said: 'Oh, he's nice, yeah, ask him what he's doing. Would he like to join a private party?'

Mr Vaz allegedly suggested offering £50 for a Grindr user to take part in a foursome.

Mr Vaz jokingly called the older of the two escorts 'a naughty b****r' and told the younger one: 'I feel as if I'm his bank manager. Or his mother. He treats me very badly.' He called him the other man's pimp.

Asked by the elder man what he wanted, the MP allegedly replied: 'You. I'm getting very horny.'

AN ALLEGED OFFER TO PAY FOR COCAINE

Exposed: Keith Vaz with his wife Maria Fernandes. The pair have two children

As the trio waited for the Romanian, the conversation turned to cocaine. Mr Vaz, who in 2010 demanded action to combat the 'dangerous' cocaine trade, allegedly offered to pay for some.

The two escorts had told him the Romanian prostitute liked taking cocaine during sex. According to the Sunday Mirror, Mr Vaz said there was no 'coke' in his flat. The MP said he did not want any of the drug himself.

When told the Romanian might be able to bring the drug, Mr Vaz said: 'How much is it going to be?' He later added: 'He can buy and I will give him the money.'

The conversation then switched to poppers. In the Commons, Mr Vaz has argued against a proposed ban on the drug during a debate on the Psychoactive Substances Bill. Poppers was later removed from the list of substances to be outlawed by the bill. During the liaison, Mr Vaz was asked whether he had ever taken poppers and replied: 'Yeah.' But he said he was an infrequent user, but added: 'I like giving it to people, it is nice.'

CLAIMS OF UNPROTECTED SEX

As an MP, Mr Vaz took part in a safe sex campaign in his constituency last year. But in his flat, he apparently admitted he did not practise what he preached. He told the male escorts that during another encounter, with another prostitute they all knew, the man had forgotten to bring a condom but they had sex anyway.

Asked how he could be sure the rent boy had not had a sexually transmitted disease, Mr Vaz replied: 'I didn't know.' He was then asked if he wanted to use a condom this time, and said: 'No'.

I'M JIM, A WASHING MACHINE SALESMAN

As matters turned to sex, one of the escorts who was undressing asked Mr Vaz about his work.

Instead of revealing he was the chairman of an influential Commons committee, or an MP, Mr Vaz said he sold washing machines.

He blurted out the pseudonym 'Jim' and said the washing machines were industrial size, for hotels to clean towels in bulk.

Then he turned to the younger of the two escorts and said: 'Take your shirt off. I'm going to attack you.'

After their 15-minute sexual encounter, Mr Vaz asked the escorts to wash up their whisky glasses. On their way out, he asked them: 'You've got your stuff? Got everything you need to take with you?'