THE MP for Bournemouth West is facing calls to resign after a report found he was using parliamentary privilege to “intimidate” a member of the public.

The House of Commons standards committee found Conor Burns had made “veiled threats” after getting involved in a financial dispute involving his father.

Following the publication of its report on Monday, and a discussion with Boris Johnson, he resigned as a trade minister and said he had “let the prime minister down, let myself down and let parliament down”.

But Bournemouth Labour Party said he should also “consider” his position as MP.

The standards committee investigation centred around a letter written by Mr Burns on House of Commons-headed paper in February last year.

It was sent to an unnamed “former senior official in the civil service” who was involved in a financial dispute with his father.

But rules prevent MPs using parliamentary privilege for “purely family purposes”. The committee found Mr Burns had breached these.

“We are persuaded by the evidence that Mr Burns used his parliamentary position in an attempt to intimidate a member of the public into doing as Mr Burns wished, in a dispute relating to purely private family interests which had no connection with Mr Burns’ parliamentary duties,” its report said.

“Mr Burns persisted in making veiled threats to use parliamentary privilege to further his family’s interests even during the course of the Commissioner’s investigation.”

The MP resigned from his position as a trade minister following its publication but is now facing calls to give up his Bournemouth West seat.

Bournemouth Labour Party, whose candidate David Stokes finished a distant second place behind Mr Burns in the December election, said it was “concerned” by the findings in the report.

“We believe that this calls in to question Mr Burns’ judgment and his ability to serve his constituents as it represents a breach of trust with the electorate,” it said.

“It is our view that he should now consider his position as the member of Parliament for Bournemouth West.”

Former Bournemouth East Labour candidate Corrie Drew said the report showed “an audacious abuse of position” and a “lack of respect” for the public.

"Conor Burns has a decade of experience as an MP and would have been fully aware that using his position for personal gain was a serious breach of the code of conduct," she said.

"The public must be able to trust their representatives and deserve better than this."

But Mr Burns vowed to continue.

Speaking to the Daily Echo's Andy Martin, he said: “I have made a big mistake and I hope they [his constituents] will find it in their hearts to accept that everyone makes mistakes.” 

He added: “I accept the findings of the committee unreservedly and without rancour. I made a mistake for which I have paid a price.

“It is not mitigation to say I was trying to help my elderly father, although I was. I should not have used parliamentary notepaper to resolve the dispute for another member of my family.

“I totally acknowledge what I did was wrong and as I wrote to the committee, if I could turn the clock back, I wouldn’t have done it.

“I also regret the stress I have caused my father who has obviously been concerned for his son for the last 14 months.

“This has been hanging over me and my family since March of last year. I have been worried about this day in and day out since. There has not been a day that I have not been worrying about it.

“There is no punishment greater to me than having added to my father’s stress.”

He said he himself had been under “considerable personal stress” at the time he wrote the letter, and this was acknowledged in the report.

Mr Burns joined Boris Johnson’s government in July last year, months after the committee began its investigations.

Asked if he felt at any point he should not take up the ministerial role until the outcome of the inquiry, he said: “Actually I didn’t because I felt what I had done was an offence as MP and there has been no question about my integrity as a government minister.

“Also I did not know what the committee would find but it was obviously the implied use of privilege that was the greater offence.

“But if you asking me whether I regret serving as international trade minister for the last few months then absolutely not.

"I believe I have made some tangible achievements that will contribute to Britain’s international trade policy for years and possibly decades to come.”

On his position as MP for Bournemouth West, he said: “I have had some incredibly touching emails from constituents and I have always said whatever I do in politics the people of Bournemouth West come first.

“I intend to carry on. I hope they will back me. I have made a big mistake and I hope they will find it in their hearts to accept that everyone makes mistakes.”

He said it was “way too early” to think about whether he would be able to resume ministerial office.

Mr Burns was first elected in 2010 and has a majority of more than 10,000.

The committee has recommended that Mr Burns be suspended from parliament for seven days and that he also write letters of apology to the complainant and to the House of Commons speaker.

Interview with Conor Burns by Andy Martin