A Tory MP could become bankrupt for unpaid taxes, leaving open the possibility of another by-election if he is forced to resign.

Court documents show that HMRC has filed for bankruptcy against Adam Afriyie in a dispute over his ‘past business interests’.

The 56-year-old, who has represented Windsor since 2005, could step down from his seat because any MP declared bankrupt must stand aside under parliamentary rules.

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Mr Afriyie, who grew up on a council estate in south London, became an entrepreneur.

But his IT firm went into insolvency in 2017 apparently due to a £1.7million tax debt.

The Tories are already facing three by-elections, including one for the Shropshire North seat of Owen Paterson who was forced to resign in a lobbying scandal.

‘The petition arises for complex reasons related to Adam’s past business interests,’ his spokesman told The Guardian.

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‘Negotiations have been ongoing for several years and the petition is subject to legal challenge as his advisers are working towards reaching an agreement.’

Mr Afriyie said: ‘I will of course pay any tax that is due.’

Mr Afriyie set up the multi-million-pound IT firm Connect Support Services in 1993.

But the firm went into insolvency in 2017 – due to mounting up in debt with HMRC and becoming the main cause of Mr Afriyie’s bankruptcy case.

This comes as Mr Paterson, 65, resigned his North Shropshire seat following a backlash over the Tories’ plan to override the standards committee’s initial findings in Mr Paterson’s lobbying scandal.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk