Cabinet minister accused of sending 'inappropriate' nail bar messages to female MP

A senior Cabinet minister has been accused of sending inappropriate text messages about a nail bar to a female Labour MP – prompting an ethics investigation that ultimately cleared him. Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Paymaster General who has been leading Britain’s post-Brexit trade talks with the EU, was reported to the Cabinet Office's propriety and ethics team by the MP for repeatedly sending her messages about a nail bar in his Torfaen constituency. The allegations emerged in March this year, when the Cabinet Office was alerted to claims he had sent inappropriate texts to a woman working in Westminster. The Propriety and Ethics Team (PET) examined the messages and shared them with Sir Keir Starmer’s independent adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus. Sir Laurie concluded there were no grounds for a formal investigation and no official reprimand was given. However, he said a conversation with Thomas-Symonds about the concerns reported to the team was appropriate, and the minister was reminded of his responsibilities under the Ministerial Code. Sir Keir was made aware of the facts and accepted Sir Laurie’s recommendation. A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “The Propriety and Ethics Team looked into an exchange of messages with a single individual. No evidence of improper behaviour was found and no further action was taken.” An ally of Thomas-Symonds, 46, a married father of three, said: “It is the right thing that the proper process was followed – as we should never dismiss any concerns, no matter the origin or the circumstances – and he was cleared. Anyone who works with Nick knows he is a high standards person and that matters deeply to him.” The Ministerial Code states that ministers are expected to maintain high standards of behaviour and to behave in a way that upholds the highest standards of propriety. The revelations are another blow for Sir Keir Starmer, who quit as PM earlier this week to make way for Andy Burnham.