The failure of DUP deputies to report the administrative error of Israel travel donations

The DUP stated that the failure of four of its deputies to report donations paid for a trip to Israel to the Electoral Commission was "an administrative error".

The Electoral Commission confirmed to the News Letter that four MPs – Gary Middleton, William Humphrey, Michelle McIlveen and Jonathan Buckley – failed to disclose donations of £ 2,700 to NI Friends of Israel, who paid a visit from four days in the country of the Middle East.

in the Assembly, they were also required to report them to the Electoral Commission within 30 days.

A DUP spokesman said: "It was an administrative oversight and steps have now been taken to address it.The trip was declared on the register of interests of the Assembly."

The news follows the suspension of DUP MP Ian Paisley of the House of Commons for 30 working days after it emerged that he had failed to declare two family vacations paid by Sri Lankan government has then lobbied the British ministers to prevent an international investigation into human rights violations in Sri Lanka.

million. Paisley was also suspended from the DUP "pending further investigation into his conduct". delegation to Israel, along with five other DUP deputies – Nigel Dodds, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, Emma Little Pengelly, Gregory Campbell and Paul Girvan.

Details of donations from NI Friends of Israel worth £ 2,700 to each of the deputies. published on the website of the Electoral Commission

announcing the trip via a press release issued to the media on May 28, a spokesman for the DUP said the visit would focus on "the development of economic ties in such s "Cyber ​​Security"

The delegation was also scheduled to visit the Holocaust Memorial in Yad Vashem and the tomb of Chaim Herzog

A spokesman for the Electoral Commission said: "We are aware of the recent trip of a DUP delegation to Israel in May 2018. The deputies who participated in this trip have made donations and are available on our website. "

The spokesman added:" A number of deputies also attended this trip, but did not report any information regarding donations to the Electoral Commission. We have already written to these members to clarify why no return has been made. "