Commons watchdog says MP broke rules by not declaring financial interest in time

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Boris Johnson has been accused of “an over-casual attitude towards obeying the rules of the house” after a Commons standards watchdog found he had failed to declare his share of a property in Somerset on time.

The Commons standards committee said the former foreign secretary had breached rules by failing to declare a financial interest within the required time limit.

The committee dismissed Johnson’s claim that he had not fully understood the rules. Johnson failed to register a 20% share of the ownership of the property within the timetabled 28 days of acquiring it.

The committee said this offence followed a previous failure to register a financial interest.

“The committee noted with concern that two investigations by the commissioner in rapid succession demonstrate a pattern of behaviour by Mr Johnson which reinforces their previous view that he had displayed an over-casual attitude towards obeying the rules of the house,” the ruling found.

“Although Mr Johnson argued that the house’s rules were confusing, the committee concluded that the problem lay not with the relevant rules, which they consider to be clear, but with Mr Johnson’s failure to consult the guide to the rules.

“The committee found it particularly regrettable that Mr Johnson gave the commissioner an assurance that his registration of interests was up to date, and within a very short period it proved not to be.”

Johnson has been instructed to meet the registrar of members’ financial interests in person to receive a full briefing from her on his obligations as a MP to register all relevant interests. He has apologised for the breach.

The committee added it would consider any further breaches of the rules as a matter that may call for “more serious sanction”.

The ruling follows an earlier warning from the watchdog after Johnson was found to have failed to declare almost £53,000 of earnings before the 28-day deadline. Johnson apologised in the House of Commons for the breach.

Last year, Johnson was also found to have broken rules that prevent former cabinet ministers taking up new jobs for three months after leaving office, by signing up for his £275,000-a-year Daily Telegraph column.

The government’s appointments watchdog, Acoba, said Johnson had failed to seek its permission after his resignation from the cabinet.