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He is one of the most influential MPs in the House of Commons and is currently overseeing the biggest shake-up of Britain’s prostitution laws in a generation.

But today the Sunday Mirror can reveal Keith Vaz, a married father of two, is leading a double life paying young male escorts for sex.

Mr Vaz last met two Eastern European prostitutes eight days ago, even though he is chair of a powerful parliamentary group probing vice and drugs.

And as the talk ranged from sex to pets, Mr Vaz eventually said: “We need to get this party started.”

He also spoke about having had unprotected sex.

And ahead of the meeting he had sent a series of texts in which he jokingly called himself one of the men’s “pimp” and “bank manager”.

Mr Vaz paid the escorts in cash.

Money was also paid into a bank account used by one of them by a man linked to a charity set up by the MP.

While chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Mr Vaz has publicly said he was “not convinced” that men who pay for sex should face prosecution.

Within weeks of a report from the committee, he himself paid money to escorts in a flat he owns near his family home in Edgware, North West London.

Mr Vaz has had at least two meetings with the escorts.

In a 90-minute rendezvous on August 27, the former Minister for Europe offered to cover the cost of cocaine if it was brought to the flat – but said he did not want any himself.

(Image: Sunday Mirror)

He is currently heading up the committee which has investigated harm caused by the illegal Class A drug.

Mr Vaz, Labour MP for Leicester East since 1987, also told the pair to bring along poppers – the sex-enhancing drug.

In Parliament, he defended use of the drug when it faced a ban.

The Sunday Mirror can reveal Mr Vaz first made contact with the two younger men after meeting a fellow escort they knew in London.

(Image: Sunday Mirror)

At least one meeting took place before Mr Vaz met the pair again eight days ago.

They arrived at the flat, which Land Registry documents show the MP owns and bought in June for £387,500.

It is has no mortgage and is half a mile from his £2.1million five-bed detached family home.

The day before the August 27 meeting Mr Vaz texted the escort: “Try and pick up some poppers.”

On the afternoon of the meeting the escort texted to say he was buying the sex drug and the MP replied: “Great.”

Mr Vaz was then asked for a meeting time, and replied by text: “11pm nice and late. I want a good time please.”

When told a Romanian escort would be joining them, Mr Vaz wrote: “How will this work, do you want me to f*** him first or all together.”

Then he asked: “Does he like poppers. Does he speak English.”

Running late, Mr Vaz wrote: “On my way to London shall we meet at 11.30 in Edgware.

“Bring all stuff. Don’t be too late, very sleepy.”

The two escorts arrived at Mr Vaz’s well-appointed block shortly after 11.30pm.

He was wearing a short sleeved shirt, black trousers and his trademark steel-rimmed spectacles.

The escorts – in beach shorts and T-shirts – were clutching a black carrier bag co

(Image: Sunday Mirror)

ntaining items including pakets of a Viagra-like stimulant.

Mr Vaz immediately began questioning them about the whereabouts of the Romanian escort.

He asked: “What time is he coming? Does he know where to come? Has he seen lots of clients?”

When told another customer had paid the man £900 for sex, Mr Vaz replied: “Really? That’s fantastic... I hope he’s giving you some of the money.”

In the lead-up to sex the men took the Viagra-like drug out of their bag and showed it to the politician.

They explained it was a jelly in mint or watermelon flavours and would boost sexual stamina.

As the three sat in the living room, Mr Vaz asked: “What about this Romanian? What does he look like? Have you got pictures?”

The men said Mr Vaz handed over $100 and joked it was “a lot” where they come from.

One of the escorts said he was nervous about joining in a foursome.

Mr Vaz replied: “Oh sh**. Oh my God. You have to join in.”

The MP, sounding anxious for a third man to join them, began examining snaps of men on the gay dating app Grindr, shown to him by the escorts.

(Image: PA)

It uses GPS data to find men nearby. When shown the profile of an Asian man, the MP replied: “He is fit.”

Then Mr Vaz, who famously turned up at Luton airport to welcome the arrivals on the day Romania joined the EU in 2014, added: “But we like Eastern Europeans, they’re nice.”

When shown another user’s profile Mr Vaz said: “Find out where he is... ”

Then, continuing his jokey chat, the MP said of the older escort: “I feel as if I’m his bank manager.

"Or his mother. He treats me very badly.”

The conversation turned to cocaine when the escorts spoke again about the Romanian joining them.

They said he liked taking the Class A drug during sex.

The MP was then heard saying that there was no “coke” in the flat.

When told the Romanian may be able to bring the drug, Mr Vaz said: “How much is it going to be?”

When one of the escorts pretended to ring the Romanian and said cocaine was not available, Mr Vaz interrupted: “Ask him how much it is – next time.”

(Image: Daily Mirror/Andy Stenning)

And the politician added a little later: “He can buy and I’ll give him the money.” Mr Vaz said he did not want any coke himself.

He then asked the men, who say they do not take illegal drugs either, about the poppers they had brought along.

When the younger escort said he had never used them, Mr Vaz replied: “You’ve never had poppers?”

The escort then asked if Mr Vaz had taken them and the MP replied: “Yeah.”

He said he didn’t “really use them” because of a medical procedure, but added: “I like giving it to people. It’s nice.”

Talk then turned to sex, as the two escorts sat in the lounge sipping their whisky and cokes.

(Image: Daily Mirror)

Addressing the older man, Mr Vaz said: “You’re a naughty b****r. You taught him so much.”

And he asked: “How many times have you f***** him (the younger escort) today?”

While waiting for a message back from potential matches, the MP then got into a discussion with the escorts about the price of houses in London – before the elder escort interrupted, asking: “What do you want?”

Mr Vaz instantly replied: “You. I’m getting very horny.”

Shortly before the sexual activity, Mr Vaz told them about a recent encounter with another escort they know.

The MP said: “He was OK. He forgot the condom though. I had to f*** him without a condom.”

He was then asked how he knew the man was clear of sexually transmitted diseases – and replied: “I didn’t know.”

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When asked how long it had been since he last had sex, the MP replied: “Oh ages ago, about three weeks.”

When asked by one of the men whether he wanted to use a condom this time, Mr Vaz – who last year fronted a safe sex campaign in his constituency – said “No”.

Minutes later, the men said they undressed. Mr Vaz then told the younger one: “Take your shirt off. I’m going to attack you.”

The encounter lasted around 15 minutes.

Little more than 24 hours after the encounter the MP was seen back on official duty alongside police at a family fun day.

The MP – who had his face painted as a tiger at the constituency bash in Leicester – re-tweeted snaps to his Twitter page.

Last night Mr Vaz said: “I have referred these allegations to my ­solicitor Mark Stephens, of Howard Kennedy, who will consider them carefully and advise me on what is published.”

Today, he issued a statement to the Mail on Sunday which said: "I am genuinely sorry for the hurt and distress that has been caused by my actions in particular to my wife and children.

"I will be informing the Committee on Tuesday of my intention to stand aside from chairing the sessions of the Committee with immediate effect."

It was not immediately clear whether the statement meant Mr Vaz would step down from his chairmanship altogether or just that of some committee sessions.

He later issued another statement, which added: "At this time I do not want there to be any distraction from the important work the Home Affairs Select Committee undertakes so well.

"Select Committees do vital work in holding the government and others to account. We are due to publish two Reports, one into Anti Semitism and the other into FGM in the next few days, in addition we have a number of key witnesses.

"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 9 years."

Neither Mr Vaz's lawyer nor Home Affairs Committee staff could immediately be reached for comment by Mirror Online.

Fellow Home Affairs committee member Naz Shah told Sky News she had spoken to Mr Vaz and "he has done the right thing" by standing aside as chair.

A Labour Party spokesman said: "Keith Vaz has issued a statement on this matter.

"As with all departmental select committees, Keith was elected to the chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee by the House of Commons, and his is position is a matter for him and the House".