18 December 2023 , 17:56
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Tory MP Miriam Cates has been placed under investigation by the Commons standards watchdog for causing "significant damage" to Parliament's reputation.
Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Daniel Greenberg launched a probe into an alleged breach of the MPs code of conduct by the prominent backbencher. Under the rules, the details of such investigations are confidential and all those involved are barred from discussing it until the probe is completed.
But reports have emerged that the probe relates to a lockdown drinks party in December 2020, which Ms Cates is said to have attended. According to the Daily Mail, Ms Cates was among the guests at a birthday bash for Tory peer Baroness Jenkin and fellow backbencher Virginia Crosbie.
Ms Cates is one of eight MPs currently being investigated by the Standards Commissioner, all Tories or former Tories. These include Deputy Speaker Dame Eleanor Laing, Sir Bernard Jenkin and Virginia Crosbie, who are believed to be under investigation for allegedly attending the birthday. The Metropolitan Police closed its probe into the same event earlier this month, with no action taken against any individuals.
Ms Cates, who was elected as MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge in 2019, co-founded the right-wing New Conservatives group alongside fellow backbencher Danny Kruger. The group has called for tax cuts, significant cuts to immigration and withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights. It has piled pressure on Rishi Sunak in recent weeks to strengthen his Rwanda plan to ensure migrants will not be able to make legal challenges to deportations.
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The New Conservatives also support traditional family values, with Ms Cates having said that getting Britain reproducing again is "fundamental to our survival" as she claimed the education system is "destroying children's souls". She has been outspoken in her concern about declining fertility rates in Britain, calling for policies to promote marriage and having children.
In 2021, Ms Cates and Mr Kruger also established the New Social Covenant Unit (NSCU) to promote "families, communities and the nation". Earlier in 2023, the NSCU published a review commissioned by Ms Cates criticising sex education and claiming children were being shown inappropriate material, prompting the Prime Minister to order a review of guidance on the subject. Teaching unions denied Ms Cates' claims, saying there was "no evidence to suggest there is a widespread problem" and calling the review "politically motivated".
The fast-rising Tory MP has also been vocal about her opposition to transgender rights and has lobbied for tougher guidance for schools. A former science teacher, Ms Cates has become a fixture at right-wing conferences, addressing the National Conservatism conference in May and the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference in October.
Other Conservative MPs under investigation by the Standards Commissioner include Bob Stewart, Marco Longhi and David Duguid, and former Tory Andrew Bridgen, who now sits as a Reclaim Party MP.