Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has renewed his call for the government to prevent Nigel Farage from resigning as an MP until an investigation into alleged parliamentary rule breaches is completed.
Davey's Demand on Today Programme
In an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Davey stated: "I don't think there should be a byelection until the investigation [into claims that Farage broke parliamentary rules by not declaring the £5m donation from Christopher Harborne] has completed. The people of Clacton deserve to know whether their MP has broken the rules in a very, very serious way."
Historical Precedent for Blocking Resignation
Davey noted that no government has attempted to stop an MP resigning from parliament for almost 200 years. However, due to the procedure used when an MP resigns, it could theoretically be done. He explained: "If you want to resign as an MP, you actually have to apply to the government to have an appointment to an office. And the chancellor actually decides whether to appoint you. Now, normally that has happened. However, there is a precedent going back to 1842 where the chancellor didn't appoint someone to one of these positions [steward of the Chiltern Hundreds]. And if that appointment is not made, then Mr Farage can't resign and the investigation will continue."
Expert Commentary on Procedure
Matthew England, a researcher for the Hansard Society, posted on social media that no government has stopped an MP applying for the Chiltern Hundreds since the 1840s. The procedure involves an MP applying for a nominal office of profit under the Crown, which triggers a by-election. If the chancellor refuses to appoint, the resignation cannot proceed.
Context of the Allegations
The investigation concerns whether Farage failed to declare a £5 million donation from businessman Christopher Harborne. Davey argued that allowing Farage to resign before the probe concludes would deny Clacton voters clarity on their MP's conduct.
