A GROUP of northern Tory MPs are to be scrutinised by the parliamentary expenses watchdog over how they used public funds.
It comes after a Sky News investigation found nearly two dozen Tory MPs had received political donations from a private donor to assist campaigning.
This was just weeks after they joined the Northern Research Group (NRG) and authorised thousands of pounds worth of taxpayer-funded expenses on its work.
MPs are given public money to fund building and staffing costs, and spending is tightly controlled, unlike political donations which come with fewer restrictions and can be used to fund re-election campaigns.
The findings have raised questions around whether or not the MPs involved authorised public funding to be spent on the NRG knowing that it would lead to a campaign donation.
The NRG was established by Boris Johnson loyalist and former Tory party chairman Jake Berry.
Berry (pictured below) and a number of other Tory MPs have denied any link between the donations and use of public money for the NRG.
However, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) has said it is investigating whether the group has “contravened the rules surrounding direct payment of subscriptions from MP business cost budgets”.
The donations in question were organised by Berry and came from northern broadband form IX Wireless.
The Sky News investigation found that in 2021 and 2022, a total of 24 MPs received money from IX Wireless. Of those, 22 have previously diverted public money to the NRG, according to the broadcaster.
In one case, Tory MP Matt Vickers, Stockton South, authorised £2500 to go to the NRG from his office allowance in mid-June in 2021.
He was the recipient of a £2500 campaign boost from IX Wireless just three weeks later.
Berry and a number of Tory MPs involved denied the link between funding and donations.
Berry said: "It is completely wrong when businesses want to go out and support northern MPs who are transforming the business community for them, for those businesses then to be trashed in the media for doing something completely legal and straightforward.
"There is no connection between your membership and receiving political donations."
Since the last election in 2019, Sky News reports that the Northern Research Group has been handed £139,760 in public money overall.
Party political research groups like the NRG, the European Research Group (ERG), which has played a key role in the Brexit debate, and the Socialist Research Group (SRG), receive tens of thousands of pounds in public money. It is part of a parliamentary arrangement that has existed for decades, where the groups are given funds to undertake research.
However, IPSA have confirmed that they will scrutinise the NRG and Tory MPs actions to ensure there has been no rule breach.
"In light of research by Sky News, IPSA has started an assurance review to assess whether the NRG has contravened the rules surrounding direct payment of subscriptions from MP business cost budgets,” a spokesperson for the watchdog said.
"IPSA's remit is the use of taxpayer funding, not the receipt of other sources of income by MPs, and has therefore informed the Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards of its action.
"IPSA will also conduct assurance reviews of the other new pooled services to check that they are meeting the requirements for IPSA funding, which they commit to in writing, and of the rules regarding pooled services."
An IX Wireless spokesperson said: "As a North West-headquartered company we want to ensure the region truly benefits from the government's Levelling Up agenda. This includes ensuring all areas across the North see an increase in their standard of living so that each area can reach its full productivity potential.
"To do this, we have backed the Northern Research Group, which aims to ensure that the voices of people across the region are heard by the government while also boosting employment, productivity and growth.
"Our support of the NRG is on public record. The funds to the NRG will help support MPs to focus central government for more spending across the North, boost infrastructure such as improved roads and rail, and support northern institutions.
"The funds will also support MPs, many who were new to the role, with training and support.
"As a northern company that is delivering gigabit-capable broadband services to the communities across the region, we want to see the interests of those same communities represented at a national level via the NRG."
