Hereditary peer banned from House of Lords

The Earl of Shrewsbury has been banned from the House of Lords for a second time in three years after accepting he breached the rules.

He was found by the Lords Conduct Committee to have used a rail season ticket paid for by the House for non-parliamentary travel, to attend a business meeting on 17 January 2024.

Lord Shrewsbury also admitted to claiming car mileage for journeys he did not make - both offences resulting in a two-week ban.

The BBC has approached the hereditary peer for comment.

The report by the Conduct Committee said the journey had seen Lord Shrewsbury travel from London Euston to Stafford and back, as part of a journey to Liverpool, in order to attend a business meeting unconnected to his parliamentary duties.

The report found that in the same week he submitted mileage claims between his home in Derbyshire and Stafford railway station in respect of four journeys (totalling 120 miles) that were in fact never made.

It acknowledged Lord Shrewsbury had admitted that he had breached the rules and had reimbursed the House £199.52 for the amount wrongly claimed.

He did not appeal against the Commissioner's findings or his recommended sanction.

The report also said Lord Shrewsbury had been quick to acknowledge his wrongdoing and offer a full apology.

It added there had been no evidence of deliberate dishonesty.

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