Sayeed stands down as MP
Conservative MP Jonathan Sayeed is standing down on health grounds, it has emerged.
The revelation comes less than a month after he survived a de-selection bid from his constituency party amid allegations he profited from guided tours of Parliament.
The Mid-Bedfordshire MP, 56, was suspended from the House of Commons for two weeks on February 8 and had the whip withdrawn for a month following the allegations.
He strongly denies any intentional impropriety.
The House of Commons Standards and Privileges Committee recommended Mr Sayeed’s suspension after it found his conduct had “fallen well below the standards the House expects, and risked damaging its reputation”.
At the time Conservative leader Michael Howard described Mr Sayeed’s behaviour as “completely unacceptable”.
Mr Howard has accepted Mr Sayeed’s resignation.
Mr Sayeed was elected to Mid-Bedfordshire in 1997, having previously been MP for Bristol East between 1983 and 1992.
