Reform UK's deputy leader, Richard Tice, is currently the subject of an investigation by the parliamentary standards watchdog. The probe centers on an allegation that he failed to properly declare an interest during a parliamentary proceeding.
The investigation was officially opened on Tuesday, 28 July, with the details subsequently published on the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner’s website on Monday. The matter concerns a speech delivered by Tice on 22 June, during which he allegedly failed to mention a trip to Israel he had taken the previous September. According to Reform UK, that trip was funded by a pro-Israel lobbying group.
While the visit is officially listed in Tice’s Declaration of Members' Interests, the inquiry focuses on compliance with Rule 6 of the parliamentary code of conduct. This rule mandates that members must remain "open and frank in declaring any relevant interest" during proceedings of the House, its committees, or in communications with ministers, public officials, and members.
Parliamentary guidance regarding this code clarifies that simply referring to an entry in the register of interests is insufficient. The official guidance states that a declaration must provide enough information to convey the nature of the interest, ensuring that listeners or readers do not need to consult the register or other external publications to understand the context.
The Parliament's guidance to the code of conduct states that MPs can refer to their entry in the register of interests but adds: "Such a reference will not suffice on its own, as the declaration must provide sufficient information to convey the nature of the interest without the listener or the reader having to have recourse to the Register or other publication."
