Committee of Privileges publishes report on John Nicolson MP

Article summary

The Committee of Privileges has published its report on the conduct of John Nicolson MP on 19 October 2023. The conduct in question related to Nicolson posting about private correspondence between himself and the Speaker of the House, after which the Speaker asked Nicolson to remove the social media post and apologise. Nicolson did not remove the post and offered no explicit apology. The Committee has reported that the key issues for determination were whether Mr Nicolson’s conduct was a breach of confidence, a selective breach of confidence or contempt. After investigation, the Committee regarded Mr Nicolson’s conduct as ‘highly regrettable’ but ultimately recommended that no further action be taken. The Committee has further recommended steps be taken to improve communication, particularly in relation to privilege and confidentiality.