Blog Image
Profile Image Verifile
August 7 2019

Sheffield Hallam MP's chief of staff was not vetted by Parliament

Allegations of a security failure at MP Jared O'Mara's office are being investigated by the House of Commons.  The BBC reported that the Sheffield Hallam MP's chief of staff, Gareth Arnold, was not vetted by Parliament.

Mr. Arnold, who is running the MP's office in his absence, had access to sensitive casework and the MP's email account on the parliamentary network.

The House of Commons said it had taken steps to "prevent unauthorized access to Mr. O'Mara's parliamentary account".

During an investigation by the BBC podcast, The Next Episode, Mr. Arnold, 26, said: "I am running a constituency office on behalf of an MP without the required security clearance from the parliamentary authorities. It's crazy isn't it?".