Suspension from the UK parliament


In the Parliament of the United Kingdom, Members of Parliament can be suspended from sitting in the House of Commons by the Speaker for "disorderly conduct".
The Speaker can order that an MP is removed from the house until the end of the day, but more often "names" an MP.
When an MP is named, a vote is held in the house in the same way as a normal vote on legislation. If the vote is successful, the MP named is suspended for five days for a first offence and 20 days for a second offence, during which time they cannot take part in votes and debates in Parliament. They also have their pay suspended.
Members of the House of Lords can also be suspended. This occurred for the first time since 1642
in May 2009, when Labour peers Lord Truscott and Lord Taylor of Blackburn were suspended after a newspaper accused them of offering to change laws for cash.
It was followed by the suspension of three more peers in October 2010, when Baroness Uddin, Lord Paul and Lord Bhatia were suspended following the Parliamentary expenses scandal.

List of MPs suspended from parliament

DateMember of ParliamentPolitical partyDurationReason
2 July 1931John McGovernIndependent Labour PartyRemainder of the sessionDisregarding ruling of the chair and requiring force to be removed when initially ordered to withdraw.
27 May 1976Michael HeseltineConservative...Seizing the ceremonial mace.
1984Dennis SkinnerLabour...Unparliamentary language – referring to David Owen as a "pompous sod", and then only withdrawing the word "pompous".
1985Brian SedgemoreLabour...Accusing Nigel Lawson of "perverting the course of justice".
15 March 1988Alex SalmondScottish National Party5 daysDisorderly conduct.
20 April 1988Ron BrownLabour20 daysDamaging the ceremonial mace by throwing it to the floor. He had agreed to read a pre-written apology but proceeded to add comments of his own, saying that he was "grovelling".
1992Dennis SkinnerLabour...Unparliamentary language – referring to Minister for Agriculture John Gummer as a "little squirt of a minister"
1993Ian PaisleyDemocratic Unionist...Unparliamentary language – refusing to withdraw use of the word "falsehoods" after being instructed to do so by the Speaker.
1995Dennis SkinnerLabour...Unparliamentary language — accusing the government of a "crooked deal".
1998Ronnie CampbellLabour...Unparliamentary language, calling Conservative Shadow Agriculture Minister Michael Jack a "hypocrite".
2001Geoffrey RobinsonLabour3 weeksFailing to declare receipt of £200,000 from outside interest Hollis/Lock in payment for "management services" he provided in 1990.
February 2002Keith VazLabour2 weeksNegligently overclaiming on expenses.
14 February 2003Michael TrendConservative1 monthObstructing an investigation into his financial affairs.
February 2003Clive BettsLabour1 weekHiring a male escort as his parliamentary assistant
3 February 2005Jonathan SayeedConservative2 weeksUsing tours of Parliament to promote a travel business.
8 December 2005Dennis SkinnerLabour...Accused the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne of taking cocaine as a student.
20 April 2006Dennis SkinnerLabour...Unparliamentary language – accusing Deputy Speaker Sir Alan Haselhurst of leniency towards opposition frontbencher Theresa May "because she's a Tory".
23 July 2007George GallowayRespect18 daysQuestioning the integrity of MPs investigating whether Galloway took money from Iraq.
31 January 2008Derek ConwayConservative10 daysEmploying family members in breach of rules on payments.
15 January 2009John McDonnellLabour5 daysRemoving the ceremonial mace.
11 May 2011David LawsLiberal Democrat7 daysPaying rent from his MPs' allowance to his partner.
10 July 2013Nigel DoddsDemocratic Unionist Party...Unparliamentary language – describing answers given by Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Theresa Villiers to questions about her powers as being "deliberately deceptive".
18 September 2012Paul FlynnLabour5 daysAccusing Defence Secretary Philip Hammond of lying to the House of Commons
11 April 2016Dennis SkinnerLabour...Unparliamentary language – referring to Prime Minister David Cameron as 'Dodgy Dave'.
13 June 2018Ian BlackfordScottish National Party...Not returning to his seat and causing a scene.
24 July 2018Ian Paisley JrDemocratic Unionist Party30 daysFailing to declare two family holidays paid for by the Sri Lankan Government.
10 December 2018Lloyd Russell-MoyleLabour...Removing the ceremonial mace.
31 October 2019Keith VazLabour6 monthsExpressed willingness to purchase cocaine for sex workers.
11 May 2020Conor BurnsConservative7 daysIntimidating a member of the public.