Wycombe MP Steve Baker has been forced to defend himself after it was revealed he accepted cash from a mysterious organisation that donated to the Democratic Unionist Party. 

Steve Baker, a junior Brexit minister, was given £6,500 by the Constitutional Research Council (CRC) which is believed to have given more than £425,000 to the DUP during the Brexit referendum campaign last year.

The cash donation was highlighted in the recently published register of members’ interests and Mr Baker said he accepted the money as chair of the European Research Council (ERG) to fund hospitality for ERG members and their staff at an event on December 19 last year. 

The European Research Council is a public body for funding of scientific and technological research conducted within the European Union.

Mr Baker has now been reported to parliament’s standards watchdog over the donation, national media has reported. 

In response to the news, the MP told the Bucks Free Press: “All the necessary steps have been taken to ensure donations are registered and accepted in accordance with the rules. I am confident that they are compliant.”