A Tory MP who told three female Labour frontbenchers to “shut up” has been accused of failing to declare that he owns 17 properties as MPs debated the state of the economy.
Paul Howell, who represents Sedgefield, has 16 properties across Durham and Darlington as well as an apartment in Spain, according to the MPs’ register of interests.
The Commons code of conduct says MPs should “draw attention to registered or unregistered interests on almost any occasion when someone else might consider them to influence what you say or do” in parliament.
MPs are told to “always be open and frank” in highlighting their interests in debates and committees or in any communications with ministers, other members of parliament, public officials or public office holders.
However, Howell did not do so during last week’s debate, in which he accused Labour of “scaremongering” over the impact of Liz Truss’s disastrous mini-budget.
He said that while the mini-budget caused a “short-term reaction by the financial institutions”, the economy was “in the state it is in” because of the Covid pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
He said: “What I find wholly inappropriate is this: we have constituents very worried about what is happening, the way interest rates are rising globally and so on, and what are the opposition doing?
“They are scaremongering, making people think it is even worse than it is and that the worst effects are affecting everybody. That is wholly inappropriate and it is making people who are already worried become terrified.”
Labour frontbenchers Sarah Owen, Lisa Nandy and Paula Barker were 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.
Potential breaches of the code of conduct are investigated by the parliamentary commissioner for standards, Kathryn Stone.
Before deciding whether to launch an investigation, the commissioner may require an MP to rectify the breach themselves, for example by issuing a written apology or by making a point or order in the Commons.
A Labour source said: “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.”
The Conservative Party has been approached for comment.
Howell did not respond to requests for comment.