Politics
Parliament probes Richard Tice over undeclared Israel link
The parliamentary standards watchdog has opened an investigation into Reform UK deputy Richard Tice. The allegation focuses on Tice failing to declare an interest that related to a Commons debate on Israeli influence.
Tice himself has disputed media reporting, although the following claim is in part at odds with what the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards stated.
Contrary to garbage in media:
I am being investigated for standing against antisemitism. You could not make it up. Standards Commissioner is considering complaint by anti semitic anti Israel lobby group over whether I should have referenced my register of interests at start of…
— Richard Tice MP
Richard Tice claims probe is over antisemitism stance
In full, Tice said:
Contrary to garbage in media:
I am being investigated for standing against antisemitism. You could not make it up.
Standards Commissioner is considering complaint by anti semitic anti Israel lobby group over whether I should have referenced my register of interests at start of a debate on UK democracy and Israeli influence.
The same anti Israel group failed to notify Commissioner that Ayoub Khan MP did not declare his substantial donation received from a pro Palestine group.
Funny that…..
Adding further context, the BBC reported:
Reform said Tice did not mention in his 22 June speech that he had been on a trip to Israel last September, funded by a pro-Israel lobbying group.
The trip has been listed in Tice’s Declaration of Members’ Interests.
Here is what the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner published regarding the ongoing investigation:
Therefore, it is not the case that the commissioner is investigating Tice for “standing against antisemitism”, as he suggested.
The ‘Rule 6’ stipulates:
Members must always be open and frank in declaring any relevant interest in any proceeding of the House or its committees, and in any communications with ministers, members, public officials or public office holders.
Additional guidance states that MPs can refer to register of interests entries but:
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.
Israeli influence
The debate in question happened as a result of a Parliament petition passing 100,000 signatures. The petition read:
We are concerned about reported Israeli state-linked and pro-Israel lobbying activity in UK politics. We believe it is important to determine the scope and impact of any such influence campaigns.
We feel that the horrific devastation in Gaza, the ongoing suppression of Palestinians in the West Bank, and the UK’s political response underline the urgent need to scrutinise how pro-Israel organisations, networks, and lobbying efforts may shape government decisions, party policy, and public debate.
Featured image via Office of the President of Israel/ X
By Willem Moore
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