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The House of Commons has voted to keep corruption and sexual harassment probes into MPs a secret.

The landmark vote has already led to a list of under-investigation MPs disappearing from Parliament's website. It vanished 'just minutes' after yesterday's decision, Mirror Online political correspondent Dan Bloom reports .

Before yesterday afternoon, a "current inquiries" page on Parliament's website named MPs subject to conduct probes.

But it has been removed after MPs agreed the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner will no longer publicly name politicians it is investigating, until the investigation has concluded. Even then, some MPs may not be named - even if they are found to be at fault.

The commissioner is a watchdog which examines accusations of MPs using information for financial gain, having a conflict of interest, or damaging the "reputation and integrity" of the House of Commons.

Supporters say the move secures "consistency and fairness" as Parliament's new complaints scheme promises anonymity for the complainant and MP subject to a probe.

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom said: "We need a clear run at this, so we need confidentiality and we need consistency."

(Image: Chris Radburn/PA Wire)

But Green Party leader Caroline Lucas said: "I think the optics of this house rolling back transparency is deeply deeply worrying."

Tory MPs were the biggest backers for anonymity, 70 of the 79 MPs who voted for the decision are Conservatives.

Five were from Labour, including shadow equalities minister Dawn Butler. Three Lib Dems and one DUP MP also voted to give anonymity to under-investigation MPs.

Not a single Tory voted against the shake-up. Twenty Labour MPs, independent John Woodcock and Green MP Caroline Lucas voted to block the change.

Under the new system, all current investigations by the Commissioner will be secret.

If only the Commissioner was involved in an investigation, and not the new system, the MP involved will be named at the end of a probe - regardless of its verdict.

If both the Commissioner and the new complaints scheme were involved, it is more complicated.

MPs will not be named if the complaint was not upheld and if they weren't named in the press. Even if the complaint was upheld, the Commissioner must consider "proportion" and the MP's "reputation", and any wish for anonymity from the complainant, before it names and shames any MP found guilty of misconduct.

Labour MP Jess Phillips criticised the vote.

She said if criminal courts could maintain both anonymity for victims but name the accused, then Parliament could do it too.

She said: "I do worry about how it looks in trying to pull back on transparency."

Labour MP Sir Kevin Barron said: "We perfectly agree the issue about sexual harassment and bullying and harassment needs confidentiality to make sure that people will come forward and will speak out so that actions can be taken.

"We have considered carefully the Leader's argument for making this change and we understand why she has put them forward, but we do not think that they outweigh the reputational damage that may arise if we go ahead with this proposal as it is stated.

"It will be presented as MPs trying to cover up their misdoings."