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April 30, 2014

Tory MP resigns from Commons in wake of BBC/Telegraph undercover sting

By Dominic Ponsford

Conservative MP Partrick Mercer has announced his resignation from the House of Commons just under a year after being secretly filmed by BBC Panorama agreeing to accept cash for lobbying.

Working with the Daily Telegraph, Panorama set up a fake company, Alistair Andrews Communications, and filmed Mercer talking to an undercover reporter posing as a lobbyist.

Mercer can be heard on the film saying: “I do not charge a great deal of money for these things. I would normally come out at £500 per half day, so £1,000 a day."

Panorama paid Mercer £4,000 for working two days a month at a rate of £2,000 per month, but said that the money was not declared to the parliamentary authorities.

A report into his conduct to be published on Thursday will see him banned from the Commons for six months.

Announcing his resignation last night Mercer said: "No point shilly-shallying or trying to avoid it. What has happened, has happened. I am ashamed of it. Therefore I am going to do what I can to put it right for the constituency of Newark

There will now be a by-election in Newark, a safe Tory seat, and there has been speculation UKIP leader Nigel Farage could stand.

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Mercer had already resigned the Tory whip and said he woudl not stand at the next election.

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