: ▁" T ory ▁in ▁a ▁bow - t ie ▁on ▁a ▁lav ish ▁fre eb ie ▁has ▁his ▁night ▁ru ined ▁by ▁being ▁rem ind ed ▁how ▁the ▁other ▁half ▁live ." ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 9 ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁L ought on ▁came ▁fifth ▁in ▁the ▁ball ot ▁of ▁private ▁members ' ▁b ills . ▁ ▁L ought on ▁introduced ▁the ▁Civil ▁Part ners hips , ▁Mar ri ages ▁and ▁Death s ▁( Reg istration ▁Et c .) ▁Bill . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Commons ▁he ▁s its ▁on ▁the ▁Home ▁Affairs ▁Committee . ▁He ▁has ▁previously ▁sat ▁on ▁the ▁D raft ▁M ental ▁Health ▁Bill ▁( J oint ▁Committee ) ▁and ▁Environment al ▁Aud it ▁Committee . ▁ ▁L ought on ▁emp lo ys ▁his ▁wife ▁as ▁a ▁part - time ▁Office ▁Manager ▁on ▁a ▁sal ary ▁up ▁to ▁£ 2 5 , 0 0 0 . ▁The ▁practice ▁of ▁MP s ▁employ ing ▁family ▁members ▁has ▁been ▁critic ised ▁by ▁some ▁sections ▁of ▁the ▁media ▁on ▁the ▁lines ▁that ▁it ▁prom otes ▁ne pot ism . ▁Although ▁MP s ▁who ▁were ▁first ▁elected ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁have ▁been ▁b anned ▁from ▁employ ing ▁family ▁members , ▁the ▁restriction ▁is ▁not ▁ret ros pective ▁– ▁meaning ▁that ▁L ought on ' s ▁employ ment ▁of ▁his ▁wife ▁is ▁law ful . ▁ ▁After ▁L ought on ▁announced ▁in ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁that ▁he ▁med it ates ▁in ▁the ▁bath