Miriam Cates: Tory MP under investigation by watchdog for allegedly causing 'significant damage to reputation'

A Tory MP is under investigation by the parliamentary commissioner for standards amid allegations she caused "significant damage to the reputation" of the Commons.

Miriam Cates is the MP at the centre of the allegations. The investigation was announced on the watchdog's website, however specific details of the allegation have not been released.

The website details that Cates is accused of "actions causing significant damage to the reputation of the House as a whole, or of its Members generally".

Cates was elected as MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge in 2019 and became a prominent figure in the right-wing group 'New Conservatives' which she founded alongside fellow MP Danny Kruger. She is known for her right-wing views such as her desire to promote traditional family values.

The New Conservatives group are one of the party's main pressure groups, with the group recently putting pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak over the controversial Rwanda Bill, with those in the right of the party arguing that emergency legislation to rule Rwanda as safe did not go far enough. Cate told reporters during the vote on the bill: “We agree that the bill is defective as it is. We don’t believe it will stop the boats."

Currently Cates is one of eight MPs currently under investigation by parliamentary standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg. The list includes Deputy Speaker Dame Eleanor Laing, veteran conservative Sir Bernard Jenkin and Reclaim MP Andrew Bridgen.