London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Tory MP faces bankruptcy over unpaid taxes and may have to step down

Tory MP faces bankruptcy over unpaid taxes and may have to step down

Exclusive: court records show petition filed by HMRC against Adam Afriyie, MP for Windsor
A Conservative MP is facing bankruptcy proceedings over unpaid taxes that could result in him having to step down.

In a fresh blow for Boris Johnson’s embattled party, court records show a petition for bankruptcy has been filed by HMRC against Adam Afriyie, who has represented Windsor since 2005. Afriyie is described as a “litigant in person”, suggesting he intends to represent himself.

Under parliamentary rules, sitting MPs who are declared bankrupt have to step aside. That would create turmoil for the prime minister, whose party is already facing three byelections.

Afriyie, 56, was brought up on a council estate in Peckham, south London, but built a reputation as a successful entrepreneur after setting up the IT firm Connect Support Services and then cofounding the political information provider DeHavilland. Shortly after he was first elected in 2005, that business, of which he owned 72%, was sold to publishing giant Emap for £13m.

He paid £4m for a house in his Windsor constituency in 2008, according to Land Registry records. It was described by estate agents at the time as having an octagonal music room and an ornamental bell tower, as well as eight bedrooms. It emerged in 2015 that the house was being rented out on AirBnB for about £1,950 a night. Reviews showed the property has been rented a minimum of eight times in a year, suggesting at least £15,600 was paid based on the advertised price.

However, Connect Support Services went into insolvency in 2017 and it was reported at the time that it had racked up £1.7m of debts with HMRC, which is the lead creditor in Afriyie’s forthcoming bankruptcy case. He was first reported to be facing potential bankruptcy proceedings before the 2019 election.

A spokesperson for Afriyie said: “The petition arises for complex reasons related to Adam’s past business interests. Negotiations have been ongoing for several years and the petition is subject to legal challenge as his advisers are working towards reaching an agreement.”

Afriyie, whose entry in the latest register of MPs’ financial interests reads simply “nil”, added: “I will of course pay any tax that is due.”

A spokesperson for HMRC said: “We do not comment on identifiable taxpayers.”

Once touted by friends as a possible future leader, Afriyie was behind a rebel Tory plot to force David Cameron to hold an EU referendum before the 2015 election, arguing he would not be able to sleep at night if the public were not given a say on the issue before the vote. He was also rumoured to have been behind a plan to oust Cameron in 2013.

The Conservatives are facing three byelections in safe Conservative seats in the coming weeks.

Owen Paterson’s North Shropshire constituency is up for grabs, after he resigned following a furore over his attempts to avoid suspension from the House of Commons following a lobbying scandal.

North Shropshire is one of the safest seats in the country for the Conservatives, with a majority of 22,949. They are expected to hold the seat but the vote is expected to be held this side of Christmas as the Tories are not keen for a campaign to drag on and allow any opposition candidates to build up steam.

The other byelection likely to take place in December is the Old Bexley and Sidcup seat of former minister James Brokenshire, who died of cancer last month. The seat is also considered extremely safe, with a majority of 18,952.

Opposition parties have said they will not contest the Southend West byelection prompted by the killing of David Amess last month, out of respect for his memory. A fourth byelection is possible in Leicester East, the seat of the former Labour MP Claudia Webbe, after she was found guilty of harassment, including a threat to use acid against a female friend of a partner. She is planning to appeal.

Creditors can ask a court to make someone bankrupt if they owe at least £5,000. The court order usually lasts a year, after which the person is “discharged” and won’t have to repay the debts covered by the bankruptcy. Between 800 and 1,500 people are declared bankrupt each month in the UK, with thousands more subject to individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs).

Several former MPs have previously been declared bankrupt, including Neil Hamilton, a former Tory MP, now leader of Ukip, Jane Griffiths, a deselected Labour MP, and the former Labour MP Jim Devine, who was convicted of expenses fraud. In the more distant past, members of the Tory party were in the 1990s accused of clubbing together to bail out an MP threatened with bankruptcy to avoid the prospect of losing a seat.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×