NEW: Landlord MP criticised over disclosure failures during Commons debate

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Landlord MP Paul Howell is in hot water after failing to disclose his 17 properties during a Commons debate when he told three female frontbenchers to “shut up”.

The MP for Sedgefield, who has 16 properties across Durham and Darlington as well as an apartment in Spain – according to the MPs’ register of interests – did not declare his investments during the debate on the state of the economy.

Howell accused the Labour party of scaremongering following Liz Truss’s mini-Budget which he said was “wholly inappropriate and…making people who are already worried become terrified”.

While his comments were derided by many Labour MPs, Sarah Owen, Lisa Nandy and Paula Barker were then left stunned when Howell said: “You have chirped and talked – do you want to hear or do you want to shut up?”

He immediately apologised after he saw their shocked reaction.

Extraordinary

A Labour source told The Huffington Post: “It’s pretty extraordinary that Howell thought being a landlord for more than a dozen properties wasn’t relevant to a debate about mortgages.

“Then again, this is someone who thinks concerns about rising rents and higher mortgages are just ‘scaremongering’ – and who goes round telling women to shut up. So maybe it’s not that surprising.”

MPs are told to be open and frank in highlighting their interests in debates and committees or in any communications with ministers, MPs, public officials or public office holders.

Potential breaches are investigated by the parliamentary commissioner for standards, Kathryn Stone, although it is not known whether she has been in contact with Howell.

Watch the debate in full - Howell's comments from 14:09:50 onwards.

View Full Article: NEW: Landlord MP criticised over disclosure failures during Commons debate

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