THE director of the official Leave campaign Dominic Cummings has been found to be in contempt of Parliament after he failed to appear before MPs investigating fake news.
The Commons Privileges Committee said Cummings' refusal to give oral evidence constituted a "significant interference" in the work of the inquiry.
READ MORE: Theresa May 'ready to quit’ to see her deal pass
However, it acknowledged its sanctions were limited to recommending the Commons issue a formal "admonishment" for his conduct, raising questions about its enforcement powers.
The admonishment would require a resolution of the House which, if passed, "should be communicated to Cummings by the Clerk of the House", the committee said in its report.
In a blog post, Cummings responded by accusing the MP leading the fake news inquiry – Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee chairman Damian Collins – of having "faffed around" over a date.
"My offer to give evidence to MPs remains open. As does my reasonable demand that all of us are under oath to tell the truth," he added.
READ MORE: Sensational Vote Leave campaign activity revealed by whistleblower
Collins had said it was clear the powers of the House had been "found wanting".
He said Cummings – the director of the Vote Leave campaign spearheaded by Boris Johnson – had shown a "total disregard" for the authority of Parliament and called for statutory powers to "reassert the authority that is missing".
"The Dominic Cummings case highlights the need for Parliament to define in law what its powers should be to require witnesses to attend hearings, and what sanctions should apply if they do not," he said.
"The current powers have been tested to their limits and found wanting."
The Privileges Committee said the case "raised further questions about the enforceability of the House's powers and those of its committees to secure evidence" and that it would be resuming an inquiry into the matter.
READ MORE: Indicative votes motion to move forward without amendments
The case was referred to the committee in June last year after Cummings – who was played by Benedict Cumberbatch in a recent Channel 4 TV drama – failed to respond to an order of the House requiring him to give an undertaking to appear before the inquiry by a specified date.
In launching its inquiry the committee noted the House had previously decided that its "penal jurisdiction" should be exercised as "sparingly as possible" and said it would not recommend the use of any "power of committal to prison" in this case.
The report concluded Cummings committed a contempt "both by his initial refusal to obey the DCMS Committee's order to attend it and by his subsequent refusal to obey the House's order of June 7".
It also expressed "regret" for the "tone" adopted by Cummings in his dealings with the DCMS Committee and in comments posted on his blog, including accusations of "grandstanding" and "spreading errors and lies".
"Attending the hearing and defending his position when called upon to do so would have been the right thing to do," the report said.
But Cummings responded by saying he agreed by email to give evidence on the condition everyone was under oath, which he said the committee rejected.
"After another nine months of occasional emails, they've decided they don't want to speak to me after all," he said.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel