Lords Ban For Former Essex County Council Leader

9 November 2011, 16:31 | Updated: 9 November 2011, 16:35

Expenses cheat Lord Hanningfield has been suspended from the House of Lords today (Wednesday November 9th).

Peers approved without a vote a move to bar the disgraced former Tory, who was released from jail in September after serving just a quarter of his sentence for fiddling his parliamentary expenses.

The House of Lords Privileges and Conduct Committee recommended last week that Lord Hanningfield should be barred for nine months.

But the suspension, which was agreed after a brief debate, will run from the dates the peer was sentenced in court.

That means he could return at the beginning of April.