Vote Leave boss Dominic Cummings was today condemned by MPs for ‘holding Parliament in contempt’ after he refused to answer their questions about whether he broke election laws to win Brexit.
The campaign boss – often dubbed the mastermind of Brexit – has refused to appear before the media select committee to answer questions about the claims.
Furious MPs today tore into Mr Cummings as they held a debate into his snub in the House of Commons Chamber – the first debate of its kind since 1920.
Mr Cummings has accused MPs of ‘grandstanding’ and is reportedly considering turning up to the public gallery to watch the debate in protest at the display by MPs.
But Damian Collins, Tory MP and chairman of media select committee which called the debate, said: ‘It’s a deliberate attempt to deny Parliament its right to question witnesses on matters of importance.’
Dominic Cummings (pictured in Parliament) has refused to give evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, which is investigation alleged wrongdoing in the referendum campaign. MPs will today de bate the snub in the Commons
Damian Collins, Tory MP and chairman of media select committee which called the debate (pictured in the Commons today) said: ‘It’s a deliberate attempt to deny Parliament its right to question witnesses on matters of importance.’
Opening the debate in the Chamber, he said: ‘It seems to me we have a unique problem in requiring Dominic Cummings to come and give evidence before us and I do not believe and the members of my committee do not believe that’s an acceptable state of affairs.
‘These are incredibly serious matters – there is a certain irony that someone who was the communications director of Leave. Eu. Who ran a successful campaign to seek to restore powers to Parliament seems to hold that institution himself in such contempt.
He added: ‘Here is somebody who held a very very important position in this country during a very very important campaign.
‘We believe we have important matters to put to him and he declines to appear.’
Speaking ahead of the debate, Labour MP Rupa Huq accused the Brexit boss of ‘making a joke of our democracy’.
Ms Huq , who also backs the anti Brexit campaign group Best for Britain, said: ‘Here’s the man who brought us Brexit – supposedly to retake our democracy – playing childish games when our elected representatives are asking for his help to prevent our democracy being railroaded.
‘This might all just be a laugh to him and his buddies, but when your rap sheet includes co-ordinating a campaign accused of cheating during the 2016 referendum by the Electoral Commission the joke quickly turns sour.
‘Dominic Cummings is literally making a joke of our democracy.’
The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee wants Mr Cummings to address claims Vote Leave flouted rules and coordinated spending with other Brexit campaigns.
Last month he refused to accept an invite to give evidence, insisting MPs’ questions clash with inquiries by Electoral Commission and Information Commissioner’s Office.
It is also claimed that campaign chiefs at Vote Leave – the official pro Brexit campaign group – may have broken the law in the campaign by coordinating spending with other Brexit groups (pictured Boris Johnson on the campaign trail with the group)
In response, the MPs accused Mr Cummings of obfuscation and delay in a damning condemnation of his refusal to attend.
Mr Collins is calling for a Commons vote to enforce an ‘order’ for Mr Cummings to attend.
If the vote passes and Mr Cummings still fails to appear, he is likely to be held in contempt of Parliament.
If he is eventually found in contempt than under antiquated rules he could in theory be imprisoned or fined for defying MPs.
Although the law is antiquated and would probably just result in a symbolic slap on the wrist.
Mr Cummings has accused MPs of ‘grandstanding’ in calling for the debate.
The rows is the latest twist in the ongoing saga which has seen Brexit campaigners accused of flouting electoral rules in the EU referendum campaign.
The select committee is probing claims made by Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie that the Facebook data of millions of users was illegally harvested and used to sway the Brexit vote.
Mr Collins has repeatedly requested that Mr Cummings come before his committee to answer questions about how the campaign was run.
Mr Cummings has refused to give evidence, but said he will after once an Electoral Commission inquiry into the conduct of the 2016 EU referendum was over.
He claims that lawyers have advised him to ‘keep my trap shut’ until the conclusion of an Electoral Commission probe, but was happy to give evidence after this.
The issue of a summons amounted to the committee ‘demonstrating their priority was grandstanding PR, not truth-seeking’, he said.
He added: ‘I said that if they issued a summons instead of discussing possible dates like reasonable people, then it would be obvious they are not interested in friendly co-operation to uncover the truth.
‘So I will not give evidence to this committee under any circumstances.
‘I may to other committees depending on behaviour.’
The showdown comes after the former head of Cambridge Analytica Alexander Nix yesterday told MPs the firm had been unfairly singled out by people who do not like the votes for Brexit and Donald Trump.
He told the media select committee that his political consulting firm got ‘an incredibly huge target’ on its back because of its involvement in Mr Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
In a bad-tempered showdown with MPs Mr Nix accused Mr Wylie of being unreliable.
He said: ‘I’m sorry if members of this committee are unhappy with the outcome of the referendum.
‘I’m sorry if members of the committee are unhappy with Donald Trump being president of the United States.
‘But you can’t simply put forward your prejudices onto me and make sweeping assumptions about our involvement with a political campaign simply because that is what you want to believe, because that narrative suits your view of the facts.’
Labour MP Ian Lucas, who sits on the committee, hit back: ‘Facts are what we are presenting to you. What we are getting back from you is bluster and rudeness.’
The showdown comes after the former head of Cambridge Analytica Alexander Nix (pictured yesterday in Parliament) told MPs the firm had been unfairly singled out by people who do not like the votes for Brexit and Donald Trump