London Evening Standard/London

Prominent MP Patrick Mercer quit the Tory parliamentary party yesterday amid reports he has been caught up in a “major lobbying scandal”.

The former shadow homeland security minister said that he was resigning the Tory whip to save his party from “embarrassment” after allegedly being caught in a sting, which suggested he had broken lobbying rules.

He also announced he would not stand for re-election as MP for Newark in 2015.

The BBC’s Panorama programme and the Daily Telegraph have been investigating him.

In a statement, former army officer Mercer said: “Panorama are planning to broadcast a programme alleging that I have broken parliamentary rules. I am taking legal advice about these allegations — and I have referred myself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. In the meantime to save my party embarrassment, I have resigned the Conservative Whip. I have also decided not to stand at the next general election.”

Mercer is understood to have been approached by a fake communications company purporting to represent Fijian interests. It is believed it will be alleged that he accepted money from the company and started setting up an all-party parliamentary group on Fiji. However, he is not thought to have declared the income to the Commons authorities or to have registered an interest in relation to the APPG. The accusations against Mercer come after David Cameron warned the next political scandal was likely to be over lobbying. Almost inevitably, the prime minister will now face criticism for the failure of the government to introduce a register of lobbyists as their links with parliamentarians was thrust back into the spotlight.

A BBC spokesman said: “BBC Panorama has been investigating lobbying and the conduct of MPs and members of the House of Lords. The investigation has raised a number of issues related to those involved. “ The Panorama programme was expected to go out on Thursday.