How long has the DUP MP Ian Paisley been suspended from the Commons for and will he miss the Brexit vote?
The MP for North Antrim failed to declare holidays worth £100,000 that were paid for by the Sri Lankan government
DUP MP Ian Paisley Jr has been suspended from the House of Commons for 30 sitting days over two holidays he took in 2013 that were funded by the Sri Lankan government.
We explain more about the suspension and how this impacts the Brexit vote.
Who is Ian Paisley Jr and why has he been suspended?
Ian Paisley Jr is the MP for North Antrim and has been in office since 2010.
The 51-year-old was suspended from the House of Commons on July 24, 2018 over two undeclared family holidays in 2013 that were paid for by the Sri Lankan government.
The two hospitality packages were said to be worth more than £50,000 each, with perks including business class travel, helicopter rides and regular visits to tourist attractions.
He has been suspended from the Commons for 30 sitting days from September 30 and had his salary withdrawn for a month.
The suspension is set to last into November to take account of Parliament’s summer recess which begins on July 24, 2018 and a long break for party conference season.
The senior Northern Ireland politician has also been suspended from the DUP "pending further investigation into his conduct".
In what could be a telling move has reported that on his House of Commons page on their website he is listed as an "independent" MP.
Will he miss the Brexit vote?
Paisley’s suspension is a huge blow for the Prime Minister, who is relying on the DUP’s 10 MPs to keep her government in power through a confidence-and-supply agreement.
The suspension means that he will not be allowed to vote on key issues surrounding Brexit, including the hard border between Northern Ireland and the Eurozone-led Republic of Ireland.
On top of this, if 10 per cent of the North Antrim MP's constituents sign a petition to "recall" him, a by-election will be triggered.
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Is this the longest-ever parliamentary suspension?
No, it is the third-longest suspension in Parliamentary history and the longest period any MP has been barred from the Commons for 15 years, following Keith Vaz’s month-long suspension in 2002.
Paisley’s suspension will commence on September 4, 2018 as Parliament’s summer recess began on July 24, 2018.
His suspension is expected to stretch into November to also account for the sizeable break from mid-September to account for the party conference season.
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