▁Mar riage ▁( S ame ▁Sex ▁Cou ples ) ▁Bill ▁at ▁both ▁its ▁second ▁reading ▁in ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁and ▁its ▁third ▁reading ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 1 ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁it ▁was ▁announced ▁that ▁D ud d ridge ▁would ▁return ▁to ▁Government ▁as ▁Parliament ary ▁Under - Secret ary ▁for ▁Foreign ▁and ▁Commonwealth ▁Affairs ▁following ▁the ▁res ignation ▁of ▁Mark ▁Sim mond s ▁over ▁his ▁claims ▁that ▁he ▁' could ▁not ▁support ▁his ▁family ▁in ▁London ▁on ▁an ▁MP ' s ▁sal ary '. ▁ ▁In ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁he ▁claimed ▁£ 1 1 , 3 4 8 ▁for ▁accommod ation ▁in ▁London ▁on ▁exp enses , ▁mostly ▁for ▁hot els , ▁despite ▁already ▁ow ning ▁two ▁homes ▁in ▁the ▁city . ▁He ▁stated ▁that ▁his ▁claims ▁were ▁in ▁accord ance ▁with ▁the ▁Independent ▁Parliament ary ▁Stand ards ▁authority . ▁The ▁previous ▁year , ▁it ▁was ▁reported ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁the ▁highest ▁exp enses ▁claim ▁of ▁local ▁MP s ▁in ▁Es sex . ▁He ▁was ▁accused ▁by ▁Sir ▁Ian ▁Kennedy ▁of ▁purs uing ▁a ▁" s qual id ▁vend etta " ▁after ▁he ▁helped ▁block ▁the ▁former ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁Commons ▁exp enses ▁watch dog ▁from ▁an ▁appointment ▁to ▁a ▁new ▁job ▁of ▁elect oral ▁commission er ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 8 . ▁ ▁D ud d ridge ▁is ▁seen ▁as ▁highly ▁Eu ros cept ic ▁having ▁suggested ▁in ▁ 2