Dumfries and Galloway SNP MP Richard Arkless Claims Tory MP David Mundell may have possibly broken ‘House of Commons’ rules when he opened a foodbank in Dumfries last week.
Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell may have broken the House of Commons rules and the Ministerial Code when he agreed to open a food bank in another MP’s constituency without informing him in good time.
The event took place at 11.30am and a panicking Mr Mundell emailed the sitting MP an hour before the event to say he would be attending.
Mr Mundell faced protests when he arrived to open a food bank in Dumfries run by the Trussell Trust, which has previously said his government’s policies have increased food poverty.
The food bank is in the Dumfries and Galloway constituency of the SNP MP Richard Arkless, who has now complained to The Cabinet Office and the Speaker of the House of Commons that Mr Mundell has broken the House of Commons rules and may have broken the Ministerial Code in relation to the accepted behaviour of MPs.
House of Commons speakers have repeatedly instructed that MPs intending to perform a public engagement in another member’s constituency should inform him or her and proper notice should be given.
Previous speakers have made clear that “if Members believe that they have to go into another Member’s constituency, proper notice is important. I do not expect an e-mail on the day of the visit—proper courtesy is all that we ask for.”
It is also unclear whether the panicky one hour notice is sufficient to comply with the Ministerial Code at paragraph 10.9 which states “ministers intending to perform a public engagement in the constituency of another MP or MSP should inform the member in advance.” Proper notice is always required.
Mr Arkless said:
“It is completely unacceptable for Mr Mundell to try to make capital out of the hunger that his government has created. It was also hypocritical – a food bank opening is nothing to celebrate.
“This is a clear breach of the House of Commons Rules and potentially the Ministerial Code. I have today written to the Cabinet Office and The Speaker to complain. He is Scotland’s only Tory yet he is riding roughshod over the democratic will of the Scottish people, who voted overwhelming against austerity. Well he’s not going to ride roughshod into my constituency again.”
The visit was particularly controversial because the new Trussell Trust Dumfries food bank has been accused of duplicating the work of First Base, an existing food bank nearby. Mr Mundell has publicly criticised the manager of First Base, Mark Frankland for linking food poverty to benefit sanctions and welfare reform.
Mr Arkless added:
“Mr Mundell’s criticism of our existing and well supported community food bank at First Base makes his visit all the more inappropriate. A number of my constituents have raised concerns about that.”
In defending their decision to invite Mr Mundell, the Trust wrong stated that Mr Arkless had not replied to an invitation and claimed that Mr Mundell was the local MP.
In fact the Trust invited Mr Arkless on 13 July in an email informing him that Mr Mundell would be speaking at the event. Mr Arkless contacted the Trussell Trust’s local partner organisation, Apex, the following week to decline the invitation to the official opening. However he offered to visit the food bank and help volunteers away from the cameras – as he has already done at First Base.
His reply to Apex stated ‘No fanfare, no journalists, I just want to come and help’.
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