Convicted Tory MP faces recall petition

A recall petition has opened into convicted MP Chris Davies which could force him from his parliamentary seat.

Voters in his constituency of Brecon and Radnorshire have from Thursday until June 20 to sign the petition after his conviction for faking expenses claims triggered the process.

The Conservative MP would face a by-election if 10% of the electorate in the constituency sign the petition.

House of Commons Speaker John Bercow confirmed the recall process in April just over 24 hours after 51-year-old Mr Davies was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court.

He was fined £1,500, ordered to pay £2,500 towards legal costs and told to carry out 50 hours of community service after he admitted submitting two false expenses invoices for landscape photographs to decorate his new office in 2015.

Sentencing judge Mr Justice Edis told Davies the recall process “may end your political career”, warning him it would be left for his constituents to “judge” him.

Davies – who did not benefit financially from the forged documents and apologised for his conduct – holds a majority of more than 8,000 in a constituency where just over 41,000 people voted in 2017.

The recall process can result in MPs who are handed prison terms of less than a year being subject to a petition to oust them.

Peterborough’s former Labour MP Fiona Onasanya became the first MP to be unseated from the Commons in a recall petition earlier this month after she was jailed for perverting the course of justice, and a by-election will be held on June 6.