He has been suspended for taking a holiday with the Sri Lankan government’s money.
DUP MP Ian Paisley has been suspended from the House of Commons for 30 days.
He has been suspended for going on two separate holidays to Sri Lanka, that were paid for by their government.
He later lobbied the then prime minister David Cameron on Sri Lanka’s behalf.
The 30-day suspension is one of the longest bans that has been handed down at Westminister.
Paisley’s suspension will begin in September, and his salary will be withdrawn.
As well as his suspension from the House of Commons, he has been suspended from the DUP ‘pending further investigation into his conduct’.
According to the BBC, the DUP’s statement in full said that: “The Officers of the Democratic Unionist Party have considered the report of the House of Commons Committee on Standards on Ian Paisley MP. The Party takes this report and the matters contained within it very seriously.
The Party Officers have decided to suspend Mr Ian Paisley MP from membership of the Party pending further investigation into his conduct. The Party does not intend to make any further comment on these matters during the course of the above outlined process.”
Paisley had previously vowed that he ‘will not go quietly into the night’, regarding the controversy around his trips.
The value of his two holidays are being estimated at between £50,000-£100,000.
Speaking outside Westminster last week, Paisley said that he: “would ask people to carefully consider my very genuine and my heartfelt comments. I’ve made my statement fully to the House. I believe it’s up to other people to consider now what happens next.”
This came after he described the events as a: “deep, personal embarrassment”.
The DUP has suspended Ian Paisley from the party pending further investigation into his conduct. It says it is taking the matter very seriously.
— Ken Reid (@bigkenreid) July 24, 2018
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