Workington MP and Conservative candidate for the new Penrith and Solway Constituency Mark Jenkinson is one of eight MPs named in a "special report" by the parliamentary privileges committee on a "coordinated campaign of interference" in the work of the Privileges Committee. The report also accuses Nadine Dorries and Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg of attempting to interfere with a Commons investigation into Boris Johnson, who resigned as an MP after misleading Parliament regarding Covid-19 breaches at Number 10.
If the allegations are substantiated, those mentioned in the report could face suspension from Parliament. The Privileges Committee has drawn attention to comments made by senior MPs, including Dorries, Rees-Mogg, Dame Priti Patel, and Lord Goldsmith, suggesting a coordinated effort to undermine the panel's work.
Mark Jenkinson has been named in the report alongside other MPs such as Sir Michael Fabricant, Brendan Clarke-Smith, and Dame Andrea Jenkyns. The Privileges Committee has urged MPs to reflect on whether their actions could be considered a contempt of Parliament and decide on appropriate further action.
The Privileges Committee's recommendation for a lengthy suspension prompted Boris Johnson's resignation from Parliament. Supporters of the former Prime Minister criticized the Labour-led but Tory-majority committee, characterising it as a "witch hunt" and a "kangaroo court." The report highlights the involvement of MPs in a campaign against the panel investigating Johnson.
Downing Street declined to comment on the report's findings and confirmed that MPs would be granted a "free vote" when the matter is brought before the Commons. The Prime Minister's spokesperson expressed Chancellor Rishi Sunak's full confidence in Lord Goldsmith.
According to the report, the MPs criticized "did not choose to engage through any proper process, such as submitting letters or evidence to our inquiry, but instead attacked the committee members to influence their judgment." Their objective was to influence the inquiry's outcome, impede the committee's work by inducing members to resign, discredit the committee's conclusions if they were not aligned with their wishes, and undermine the committee as a whole.
The committee expressed particular concern about the attacks launched by experienced colleagues, including a serving minister, a former leader of the House, and a former Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport.
Mark Jenkinson, was recently selected as the Conservative prospective candidate for the new Penrith and Solway constituency, which will incorporate parts of his current Workington constituency along with parts of Penrith and the Border constituency.
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