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Sammy Wilson investigated by standards watchdog

Brendan HughesPolitical reporter, BBC News NI
News imageBBC Sammy Wilson, a man with short, grey hair and a moustache, looks away from the camera towards a reporter during a TV interview. He is standing in an event centre during an election count. He is wearing a white striped shirt and a grey checked suit jacket. BBC
Sammy Wilson is accused of a "failure to declare an interest" under the MPs' code of conduct

A Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP is being investigated by Westminster's standards commissioner.

Sammy Wilson is accused of a "failure to declare an interest" in accordance with the code of conduct for MPs.

An investigation was opened against the East Antrim MP last Tuesday, according to the parliamentary standards commissioner's website.

The DUP and Wilson have been approached for comment.

Wilson was previously the subject of a watchdog probe in 2024 for failing to declare a paid-for overseas trip when tabling a parliamentary question.

It followed a question on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus after visiting the area.

The code of conduct states that when asking parliamentary questions "members must indicate any relevant interest on the question form".

Wilson later apologised in the House of Commons chamber, saying he had "inadvertently neglected to declare my interest".

In his report the standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg said he was satisfied that the breach was inadvertent in nature.

"Mr Wilson apologised to me for the breach of the code, explained the measures he had put in place to avoid a repeat of this issue, and apologised to the House through a point of order on 2 December 2024," he added.

MPs from Northern Ireland have been sanctioned in the past for breaking parliamentary lobbying rules after going on paid trips.

In 2018, then DUP North Antrim MP Ian Paisley was suspended from the Commons for 30 days for lobbying on behalf of Sri Lanka after taking an undeclared trip to the country worth up to £100,000.