Tory MP Daniel Kawczynski makes a grovelling apology over bullying row
Tory MP Daniel Kawczynski makes a grovelling apology in the Commons as he admits he ‘undermined’ a previous apology for bullying staff by almost immediately retracting it as he faces a one-day ban
- Tory MP Daniel Kawczynski today delivered an apology in House of Commons
- He apologised for having ‘undermined’ a previous apology for bullying staff
- MPs due to vote tonight on suspending the MP from the Commons for one day
A Tory MP today delivered a grovelling apology in the House of Commons as he admitted he ‘undermined’ a previous apology for bullying parliamentary staff by almost immediately retracting it.
Daniel Kawczynski said he ‘sincerely’ apologised for his conduct and acknowledged that he had ‘undermined the sincerity’ of his original apology in June 2021.
Mr Kawczynski said he was ‘sorry’ for his behaviour as he conceded it ‘will have had a further harmful effect on the complainants and that it may have diminished public confidence in the process’.
He said he will be sending a written apology to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and to the original complainant.
MPs are expected to approve a one-day suspension from the Commons for Mr Kawczynski on Wednesday evening.
Daniel Kawczynski said he ‘sincerely’ apologised for his conduct and acknowledged that he had ‘ undermined the sincerity’ of his original apology in June 2021
The Commons Standards Committee recommended the punishment after he was found to have breached rules for MPs over an apology he gave over an earlier breach of the rules.
Mr Kawczynski was ordered to say sorry in June last year after Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone found him guilty of bullying.
He had ranted at parliamentary staffers when he could not join a virtual meeting, then made baseless complaints about them.
He admitted on the same day as his apology that he did not mean it and was only going through the motions to avoid being suspended from the Commons.
The MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham told the Commons this afternoon: ‘Last week the Committee on Standards published a report on my conduct following a complaint from Sir Stephen Irwin, the chair of the Independent Expert Panel, that I had not abided by a determination of the IEP that I apologise unequivocally to the House for my behaviour in bullying members of House of Commons staff.
‘I sincerely apologise for my conduct which led to this investigation. I acknowledge that in speaking to journalists and the radio I undermined the sincerity of the apology I gave to the House on June 14, 2021.
‘I’m sorry that my conduct will have had a further harmful effect on the complainants and that it may have diminished public confidence in the process.
‘I will be sending a written apology to the parliamentary commissioner for standards, the chair of the Independent Expert Panel, and the original complainants.’
Mr Kawczynski said he was ‘conscious that my conduct may have merited’ a longer suspension and he appreciated ‘the committee’s consideration of the difficulties that I was experiencing in my personal life at the time and the mental health issues I explained to them’.
He added: ‘I accept that speaking out in the way I did to the media had a detrimental effect on the House’s conduct policy by undermining the integrity of the complaints process and I deeply regret my actions.
‘I am committed to learning from the mistakes I have made and to work on my personal development, especially in my communication with others in every interaction that I have.’
Mr Kawczynski made his original apology in June last year after he was found to have breached rules on bullying and harassment following a complaint by Commons staff.
However, the same day he told an interviewer from BBC Radio Shropshire: ‘I have no alternative but to apologise because if I don’t apologise then I risk the option of being sanctioned further.’
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