Jamie Wallis: Bridgend MP 'misled press' over sugar daddy site

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Newly elected Tory MP Jamie Wallis should apologise for his alleged involvement in a "sugar daddy" dating website, a Labour MP has said.

Tonia Antoniazzi said the Bridgend MP's denial of a link to Sugar-Daddy.net was "clearly" contradicted by company records.

She accused Mr Wallis of misleading the press.

Jamie Wallis, who was elected MP for Bridgend in December, has been approached for comment.

It comes after a candidate in the Labour leadership contest, Jess Phillips, called for Mr Wallis to be thrown out of the Conservative party.

The Sugar-Daddy.net business offered people introductions to wealthy individuals, saying: "We can introduce you to your very own sugar daddy and solve your money worries.

"Whether you're a boy, girl, straight or gay, there's a sugar daddy for you."

Ms Antoniazzi's comments in the House of Commons follow reporting by BuzzFeed News into Mr Wallis' business background.

Mr Wallis told BuzzFeed: "Online queries indicate the Sugar-Daddy.net website was registered in 2004 and ceased to be operational in 2010."

"The site appears to have been owned and operated by a company named SD Billing Services Limited.

"For the avoidance of any doubt, I have never had a financial interest, nor been a director of SD Billing services Limited and cannot comment on its operational activities."

Antoniazzi, MP for Gower, said Companies House records "clearly contradict that statement".

She said she had received information from a former employee of the member for Bridgend that also contradicted his statement.

The Gower MP claimed Mr Wallis had "misled the press about his involvement" in the website, which she said was "exploitative and demeaning".

Jamie Wallis is listed at Companies House as a person with significant control of Fields Group Ltd.

Fields Group Ltd is itself listed as the sole shareholder of SD Billing Services between October 2007-October 2010 - within that period Mr Wallis was a shareholder and director of Fields Group.

BuzzFeed News reported that ten companies where Mr Wallis was or is a director were subject to more than 800 complaints to trading standards between January 2008 and February 2017, according to Bridgend council.

The council said the companies had been the subject of 20 enforcement visits.

Mr Wallis told BuzzFeed the figures were "nonsense" and he is taking legal action against Bridgend council.

A spokesman for Bridgend council confirmed they had received a "letter-before-action" from Fields Group Limited but could not comment further "due to the possibility of ongoing proceedings".

The Conservative Party declined to comment.

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