London - The Tory MP Mrs Teresa Gorman has been barred from the House of Commons for a month for failing to register business interests. It is the longest suspension ever handed down to an MP.
The decision was approved by MPs without a vote despite her insistence that she never lied to parliament over the ownership of three properties in London and Portugal.
However, Mrs Gorman conceded she had handled an investigation into her affairs in a "less than satisfactory" way.
The penalty, which brought protests from some MPs, was recommended by the Standards and Privileges Select Committee.