Wellingborough by-election: Tory candidate defends former MP

Helen Harrison is standing as the Conservative candidate in the Wellingborough by-election on 15 February

The partner of Peter Bone, who is standing for election to replace him as an MP, says she believes allegations against him are untrue.

Parliament's Independent Expert Panel had found Mr Bone had exposed himself to an aide and physically struck him.

A by-election is taking place in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, after the Conservative's constituents removed him as MP via a recall petition.

His partner, Helen Harrison, told the BBC the panel had "got it wrong".

The panel considered several complaints from a man in his 20s who had been employed in Mr Bone's office but resigned from his job in 2013.

It concluded that the complainant's evidence was "compelling, nuanced and plausible" and found in his favour, suspending 71-year-old Mr Bone from Parliament for six weeks.

Ms Harrison, 51, said: "As Peter's partner and his supporting person through that process, I'm one of a small number of people who had seen every single bit of evidence that has been presented in that case.

"I think [the panel] got it wrong."

She went on to say that, as Mr Bone's supporting person, she was "required by the parliamentary authorities to sign a confidentiality agreement which means, unfortunately, I can't say any more than that".

Peter Bone has been seen out campaigning on the streets of the Wellingborough constituency, which also includes Rushden, Higham Ferrers, Irchester and Bozeat

Despite being suspended from the Conservative party and ousted as an MP, Mr Bone has been seen on the streets of the constituency campaigning for Ms Harrison.

She said: "I'm proud to have him as part of my campaign."

Peter Bone and Helen Harrison have been partners for several years

She insisted that voters she met on the doorsteps during her campaign were not talking about Mr Bone's behaviour.

"People are not raising that issue with me," she said.

"They're talking to me about the small boats; they're talking about potholes; they're talking about their health services [and] getting more police on the beat - those issues that people are going to be voting on in this by-election."

Voters will go to the polls on Thursday, 15 February 2024 and the BBC is aiming to speak to all the candidates before then.

A full list of candidates and other information are available here on the BBC website.