Latest news with #GymLiveHealth
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Essex MP James McMurdock investigated by standards commissioner
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is investigating South Basildon and East Thurrock MP James McMurdock over allegations he failed to register his business was one of five Reform UK MPs before he quit the party this week amid allegations over his eligibility to have claimed £70,000 in bounceback loans during the who is listed by Companies House as a director of Gym Live Health and Fitness Ltd, now sits as an Independent MP for the Essex has been approached for comment. On Wednesday, Labour MP Jon Pearce asked the commissioner to "investigate whether James McMurdock MP is in breach of the rules of conduct for MPs".Pearce wrote to the commissioner, saying "parliamentary rules state this directorship should be listed".The company, along with JAM Financial Ltd, where McMurdock was previously a director, has overdue said via social media that "all my business dealings had always been conducted fully within the law and in compliance with all regulations".Last weekend, he asked Reform to temporarily suspend the whip as a "precautionary measure", and the party said it was carrying out an internal Tuesday, he resigned from the party, saying that after he "had a chance to take specialist legal advice" he had "decided to continue my parliamentary career as an independent MP".South Basildon and East Thurrock was the last seat to declare in the 2024 general election following a full recount. McMurdock beat the Labour candidate by 98 votes in a seat that was previously held by the parliamentary rules, MPs should declare any earnings over £100 and any interests that "might reasonably consider the interest to influence their actions or words as an MP". McMurdock has not declared any on the register can be corrected by MPs, but serious breaches can lead to formal sanctions, including suspension from Parliament. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Ex-Reform UK MP's business affairs referred to fraud body
The former Reform UK MP James McMurdock's business affairs during the Covid pandemic have been referred to the Public Sector Fraud Authority, the Guardian understands. It follows a referral by the Covid corruption commissioner on Wednesday. The authority will investigate the evidence and work with relevant agencies if required. McMurdock, the MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock in Essex, surrendered the party whip last weekend in anticipation of revelations in the Sunday Times, which claimed there were questions over loans totalling tens of thousands of pounds. It was reported that he took out £70,000 in loans in 2020 from the government's bounce back scheme. He allegedly borrowed £50,000 for one business, JAM Financial Ltd, which had no employees and negligible assets until the Covid pandemic. For a firm to have been eligible for the loan, it would have needed to report a turnover of at least £200,000. McMurdock is said to have resigned as a director of the company in 2021 and transferred his shares. Another company McMurdock owned, Gym Live Health and Fitness Limited, was said to have borrowed £20,000. It would have required a turnover of £100,000 under the bounce back scheme. It, too, had no employees, according to the latest registered accounts available on Companies House, and had nominal assets until the Covid pandemic. The companies were due to be struck off the register at Companies House, but on the same day in February 2023 the process of suspending them was halted after the regulator had an objection from a third party. The MP said he had told the Sunday Times that 'all my business dealings had always been conducted fully within the law and in compliance with all regulations, and that appropriately qualified professionals had reviewed all activity confirming the same'. He said on Tuesday he had decided to remain as an independent MP rather than seek to return to Reform UK after receiving legal advice. McMurdock, one of the five Reform UK MPs elected last July after winning the Essex constituency by 98 votes, posted on X: 'Further to my statement tweeted on 5 July 2025. I have now had a chance to take specialist legal advice from an expert in the relevant field. 'In light of that advice, which is privileged and which I choose to keep private at this time, I have decided to continue my parliamentary career as an independent MP where I can focus 100% on the interests of my constituents.'
The Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Suspended Reform MP James McMurdock quits party after Covid loan questions
James McMurdock has said he will not return to Reform UK after resigning the whip over questions related to Covid loans, becoming the second MP to leave the party since the general election last year. The MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock 'removed the party whip from himself' last week, pending the outcome of an investigation relating to allegations around 'business propriety during the pandemic'. It comes after a Sunday Times investigation alleged two businesses connected to Mr McMurdock took out Covid -19 loans totalling £70,000 during the pandemic, one of which had no employees. On Tuesday, the MP said he 'had a chance to take specialist legal advice from an expert in the relevant field' since the loans came to light. Writing on social media site X, he added: 'In light of that advice, which is privileged and which I choose to keep private at this time, I have decided to continue my parliamentary career as an independent MP where I can focus 100 per cent on the interests of my constituents.' Mr McMurdock is the second Reform MP to leave the party following the departure of Rupert Lowe earlier this year, who now also sits as an independent. Mr Lowe was expelled from Reform in March amid allegations of bullying, which he has strongly denied. According to Companies House, Mr McMurdock is listed as the current director of Gym Live Health and Fitness Limited, and a former director of J A M Financial Limited, a position he resigned in 2021. Both firms are shown to have overdue accounts and confirmation statements, and both have an 'active proposal to strike off'. Over the weekend, Mr McMurdock insisted that 'all my business dealings had always been conducted fully within the law and in compliance with all regulations and that appropriately qualified professionals had reviewed all activity confirming the same'. He said he had asked for the Reform whip to be suspended temporarily as a 'precautionary measure'. Speaking to Reform councillors on Monday morning, Nigel Farage said 'how we behave matters', adding that he 'can't apologise' for the 2024 election vetting process because he was not involved in it. 'I came in, I inherited this situation where hundreds of candidates who stood in the last general election had not gone through a vetting process', he said, seeking to distance himself from the process. 'I said on July 5, the day after the election last year, that we would now professionalise. 'We put 1,630 candidates into the field on May 1, more than any other party with very, very few rows or arguments – so the vetting process worked for this year, I can't apologise for what happened before.' The Reform leader did not answer when asked whether the allegations faced by Mr McMurdock were an embarrassment for his party. 'Let's find out the truth, I know as much about this right now as you do,' said Mr Farage. Addressing Reform UK Kent County Council councillors on the steps inside County Hall, he said: 'Behaving with integrity is a responsibility upon all of you, although that doesn't mean you all have to become stuffed shirts or anything like that. 'You are holders of public office you are responsible and how we behave matters.'
The Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
James McMurdock says he will not return to Reform UK after Covid loan questions
MP James McMurdock will not return to Reform UK after resigning the party whip over questions related to Covid loans, he has said. The MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock 'removed the party whip from himself' last week pending the outcome of an investigation relating to allegations around 'business propriety during the pandemic'. The Sunday Times published a story on Saturday which alleged two businesses connected to Mr McMurdock took out Covid-19 loans totalling £70,000 during the pandemic, one of which had no employees. On Tuesday, the MP said he 'had a chance to take specialist legal advice from an expert in the relevant field' since the loans came to light. Writing on social media site X, he added: 'In light of that advice, which is privileged and which I choose to keep private at this time, I have decided to continue my parliamentary career as an independent MP where I can focus 100% on the interests of my constituents.' According to Companies House, Mr McMurdock is listed as the current director of Gym Live Health and Fitness Limited, and a former director of J A M Financial Limited, a position he resigned in 2021. Both firms are shown to have overdue accounts and confirmation statements, and both have an 'active proposal to strike off'. Mr McMurdock insisted when the Sunday Times news story broke that 'all my business dealings had always been conducted fully within the law and in compliance with all regulations and that appropriately qualified professionals had reviewed all activity confirming the same'. He said he had asked for the Reform whip to be suspended temporarily as a 'precautionary measure'.
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Suspended Reform MP quits amid pandemic business dealings row
James McMurdock has announced that he has permanently quit Reform UK amid allegations surrounding his 'business propriety during the pandemic'. Mr McMurdock, the MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock said he had decided to remain as an independent in the House of Commons following 'specialist legal advice'. He had previously said that he had asked for the party whip to be temporarily suspended as a 'precautionary measure and for the protection of Reform UK '. In a statement on X on Tuesday, Mr McMurdock wrote: 'I have now had a chance to take specialist legal advice from an expert in the relevant field. 'In light of that advice, which is privileged and which I choose to keep private at this time, I have decided to continue my parliamentary career as an independent MP where I can focus 100 per cent on the interests of my constituents.' It comes after allegations, published in The Sunday Times, about pandemic era Bounce Back loans, amounting to £70,000, that Mr McMurdock took out via two companies. It reported that Jam Financial Limited, one of his firms, allegedly received £50,000 in 2020, the largest loan available for medium-sized businesses with an annual turnover of more than £200,000. Gym Live Health and Fitness Limited, another of his businesses, allegedly took out a £20,000 loan in 2020, which would have required an annual turnover of more than £100,000. Jam Financial Limited allegedly had no employees and negligible assets until the pandemic, and Gym Live Health and Fitness Limited was also dormant until Jan 31 2020. In a statement on X last weekend, Mr McMurdock said that 'all my business dealings had always been conducted fully within the law and in compliance with all regulations'. 'Poorly treated and deserves better' Reform is now back down to four sitting MPs in the House of Commons, having seen five elected at last year's general election. It gained another MP, Sarah Pochin, after beating Labour in May's Runcorn and Helsby by-election. Mr McMurdock has become the second MP to quit the party following the departure of Rupert Lowe earlier this year. Mr Lowe, who was expelled from Reform in March, offered words of support on X to Mr Murdock, whom he claimed had been 'poorly treated and deserves better'. The Great Yarmouth MP had been removed from the party over allegations of workplace bullying and threats against its chairman, which he has strongly denied. Reform referred Mr Lowe to the police over the alleged threats against Zia Yusuf, with the Crown Prosecution Service later confirming he would face no charges.
