The extraordinary turmoil we have seen in British politics in the last few years has set records. We have had the fastest turnover of prime ministers in our history and more MPs suspended from the House than ever. No wonder people are asking whether ‘parliamentary standards’ is a contradiction in terms.

As Chair of the Committees on Standards and Privileges, Chris Bryant has been in the thick of the battle over standards in parliament. Cronyism, nepotism, conflicts of interest, misconduct and lying: politicians are engaging in these activities more frequently and more publicly than ever before. Whether it is Boris Johnson’s lies, Owen Paterson’s paid lobbying or cases of sexual misconduct and bullying, parliament is on trial, just when democracy itself is facing a direct challenge from authoritarian regimes around the world. Yet the vast majority of MPs are diligent, assiduous and intent on changing the world for the better.

Code of Conduct will look at every angle of parliamentary conduct, charting the history of how we got here and suggesting ways in which we might fix the problem. This book could not arrive at a better time to help parliament get its house in order.