Sir Bernard Jenkin MP cleared of flouting Covid-19 rules

Four MPs accused of flouting Covid-19 rules during a "wine and nibbles" event have been cleared of wrongdoing.

Conservative MP for Harwich & North Essex, Sir Bernard Jenkin, was alleged to have attended an event on the Parliamentary estate in December 2020.

A parliamentary report concluded the event was socially-distanced with "business and social elements".

Deputy Speaker Dame Eleanor Laing, Mariam Cates and Virginia Crosbie were also cleared in the report.

The report followed the Metropolitan Police closing an investigation into the alleged breaches of Covid restrictions.

It confirmed a WhatsApp invite to birthday drinks had been sent by Mr Jenkin's then-wife Baroness Jenkin.

The complaints against all four MPs were not upheld in the report by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards (PCS).

It was first reported by the Guido Fawkes blog that Baroness Jenkin had sent out an invite by WhatsApp for birthday drinks in Dame Eleanor's conference room.

The PCS report revealed wine - "probably not exceeding two bottles" - and nibbles were available at the event.

However, it determined the gathering was part of an ongoing series of meetings held in varying degrees of formality, organised by the Women2Win network.

Daniel Greenberg, Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, concluded: "I do not have evidence to justify a finding of breach of the code of conduct."

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