Wellingborough recall petition to decide fate of MP Peter Bone closes today at 5pm - with result expected this evening

Those living in the Wellingborough constituency have until 5pm today (Tuesday) to sign a recall petition – if they want to – that could trigger a by-election and oust Peter Bone as their MP.

The six-week process comes to an end this evening when signatures on the petition will be added up to see if the threshold of 7,940 has been reached.

Mr Bone had been stripped of the Conservative Party whip after bullying and sexual misconduct allegations were upheld by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

On October 25, the House of Commons approved a motion suspending him for six weeks, triggering the recall petition. He returned to Parliament on December 5, sitting as an independent.

This evening, following the closing of the nine signing places across the constituency, counting will begin overseen by the North Northamptonshire Council petitions officer Adele Wylie and monitored by the Electoral Commission.

For a recall petition to be successful 10 per cent of eligible registered voters need to sign the petition.

If the 10 per cent is not reached

If fewer than 7,940 signatures are on the petition, then Mr Bone will retain his seat and remain as MP for Wellingborough and Rushden. It will be then up to the Conservative Parliamentary Party to decide when or if he has the whip restored.

If the 10 per cent is reached

If the 10 per cent threshold is reached the petition officer informs the Speaker of the House of Commons. The public notice of the result can only be made after the Speaker has been notified. How the result is communicated is a matter for the petition officer to arrange with the Speaker.

As soon as that notice is given the Wellingborough seat becomes vacant, triggering a by-election.

If a by-election is triggered

A recalled MP may stand as a candidate. The timing of a UK Parliamentary by-election is determined by custom of the House of Commons. The party that previously held the seat, even when an MP has been sitting as an independent, will usually decide when to trigger the by-election. The Conservative Party will move a ‘writ’ in the House of Commons.

There is no statutory time limit for when this should occur.

To add further complication Parliament stops today for its Christmas holidays, just as the recall petition result is expected. When they close depends on how quickly MPs progress the Post Office (Horizon System) Compensation Bill and whether there are any statements to the House of Commons. The Adjournment Debate (the final debate of the day) is currently scheduled for 7.30pm with the house adjourning at about 8pm.

Where a recall petition has been successful while the House of Commons is in recess, the by-election writ cannot be moved until the house is sitting again. They return on January 8, 2024.

There are certain circumstances where a writ can be moved during a recess, but these do not include a successful recall petition.

On October 16, the Independent Expert Panel (IEP) published a report on Peter Bone MP.

A complaint was made about Mr Bone under Parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme.

Following an investigation by an independent investigator, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards upheld five allegations of bullying and one of sexual misconduct relating to his conduct towards a former staff member in 2012 and 2013. Mr Bone appealed this decision to the IEP. That appeal was dismissed by the IEP sub-panel appointed to consider that case. Mr Bone denies the incidents took place and has criticised the investigation.

The Commissioner found that Mr Bone had “verbally belittled, ridiculed, abused and humiliated” the man and “repeatedly physically struck and threw things” at him.

It was also found that Mr Bone instructed or physically forced the complainant to put his hands in his lap and “repeatedly pressurised the complainant to give him a massage in the office”.

Another allegation found proven by the Commissioner was that, on an overseas trip, Mr Bone “exposed his genitals close to the complainant’s face”.