Congleton MP Fiona Bruce has voted to stop a fellow Conservative parliamentarian from being suspended.

North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson was found to have misused his position as an MP to benefit two companies he worked for.

This involved convincing MPs to vote in a fashion which would benefit his businesses.

He also used his Westminster office 16 times for meetings regarding his companies.

Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone recommended Mr Paterson be suspended from the Commons for a month.

Paterson believed the probe into his conduct was unfair, and it seems Fiona Bruce has agreed.

After a huge debate on parliamentary standards, MPs voted on 'Committee on Standards - Motion as amended Division 100' at 3:45pm.

248 voted aye to not proceed with his 30 day suspension, while 221 believed that he should have temporarily stepped away from his duties as an MP.

With just 27 votes in it, the issue has split parliament, but most Tories have backed the 65-year-old.

Only six Conservative MPs voted for Paterson to be suspended. Congleton's MP Fiona Bruce, was not one of them.

Fiona Bruce has been approached for comment.

Congleton Labour retweeted a Labour Party tweet stating: "The Tories have voted to give a green light to corruption.".

Congleton Town Council Liberal Democrat Robert Douglas said:

"Very sad to learn that our MP Fiona Bruce, has put party political interests above honest Parliamentary practice"

"It particularly saddens me to write this because Fiona Bruce had demonstrated the valuable work a local M.P. can do for her community when she visited and showed such great interest in the work of the volunteers at Congleton's Green Fayre last weekend."

Recent work of the 64-year-old Congleton MP has been praised by Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who also voted to waive Paterson's suspension.

Please click here to read about Fiona's work being included in the latest budget.

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