MP Kevin Barron quits standards committee role

The Rother Valley MP has spent 13 years as a member, including eight as chairman.

Sir Kevin said: “I feel that now is an ideal time for me to move on and focus on other projects.

“I am proud of the changes made to the code of conduct over the years, including the recent introduction of a new system of investigation into bullying and sexual harassment. 

“It is a shame that some of those changes had to come with the sacrifice of transparency.”

He was criticised in 2016 — and referred himself the standards committee — after a £9,000 payment he received from a pharmaceutical group in exchange for agreeing to arrange events in parliament.

But Sir Kevin said the money had been given to charity.

His tenure also saw the indtroduction of lay members on the standards committee.