Peter Bone

Bone was born on 19 October 1952 in Billericay in Essex. He was educated at Westcliff High School for Boys, a grammar school.{{cite journal |year=2007 |title=Bone, Peter William, (born 19 Oct. 1952), MP (C) Wellingborough, since 2005 |journal=Who's Who |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.45719 }} Bone qualified as a chartered accountant in 1976.{{cite web|url=http://www.conservatives.com/People/Members_of_Parliament/Bone_Peter.aspx|title=Peter Bone: Member of Parliament for Wellingborough|work=conservatives.com}}

In 1978, Bone was elected as a councillor for the Blenheim ward on Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, where he served for eight years, until 1986.{{cite web|url=http://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Southend-on-Sea-1973-1996.pdf|title=Southend on Sea Council Election Results 1973–1996|publisher= Plymouth University|access-date=7 August 2018}} He was elected as the deputy chairman of the Southend West Conservative Association in 1977 and continued in the position until 1984.{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/mr-peter-bone/1581|publisher=Parliament.uk|title=Peter Bone|access-date=12 April 2014}} In 1982, he became press secretary to the Conservative MP Paul Channon.

He unsuccessfully contested the parliamentary seat of Islwyn in the South Wales valleys at the 1992 general election against the then Leader of the Opposition Neil Kinnock.Islwyn (UK Parliament constituency)#Elections in the 1990s{{Circular reference|date=May 2024}} Bone subsequently fought the European Parliament election in 1994 for Mid and West Wales, coming third.Mid and West Wales (European Parliament constituency){{Circular reference|date=May 2024}}

Bone was chosen for the previously safe Conservative seat of Pudsey in West Yorkshire following the retirement of the veteran MP Giles Shaw at the 1997 general election, but lost following a swing of 13.2% to Labour's Paul Truswell.Pudsey (UK Parliament constituency)#Elections in the 1990s{{Circular reference|date=May 2024}}

In the 2001 general election he fought the ultra-marginal seat of Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, where the sitting Labour MP Paul Stinchcombe held a majority of just 187, having defeated the veteran Conservative MP Peter Fry in 1997. Stinchcombe held on to his seat by 2,355, a swing of 2.1% to Labour.Wellingborough (UK Parliament constituency)#Elections in the 2000s{{Circular reference|date=May 2024}}

In the 2005 general election, Bone ousted Stinchcombe in Wellingborough with a majority of 687 votes, a swing of 2.9%.

Bone was a member of the 1922 Committee and was an executive member from 2007 to 2012.

In March 2009, Bone was one of the key speakers opposing the use of the House of Commons by the UK Youth Parliament, having been appointed one of the Tellers.{{cite web |url=https://www.libdemvoice.org/mps-decide-eventually-to-allow-uk-youth-parliament-to-meet-in-commons-12593.html |title=MPs decide (eventually) to allow UK Youth Parliament to meet in Commons |publisher=Liberal Democrat Voice |date=17 March 2009}}

Although Bone was not mentioned in the 2009 Legg Report that was central to the official investigation into the United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal and therefore was not one of the 343 MPs required to pay back any money,{{cite web|date=4 February 2010|title=Review of past ACA payments|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmselect/cmmemest/348/348.pdf|publisher=House of Commons Members Estimate Committee|access-date=11 January 2018}} he was subject to some later reports relating to his expenses. He was one of 32 MPs who claimed the maximum allowance of £4,800 a year for food in 2010{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5561988/MPs-expenses-more-than-30-MPs-charged-the-taxpayer-4800-annually-for-food.html|title=MPs' expenses: more than 30 MPs charged the taxpayer £4,800 annually for food|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=18 June 2009|access-date=5 December 2010|location=London|first=Christopher|last=Hope}} and came under investigation in 2014 for expenses claims relating to the upkeep of his second home.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26986408 |title=Conservative MP Peter Bone faces expenses inquiry |website=BBC News |date=11 April 2014 |access-date=7 August 2018}} In 2016 he was criticised for using the government's help-to-buy scheme, which was meant to help young first time buyers, to buy himself a new constituency home.{{cite news|title=Help to buy is riddled with loopholes that the privileged can easily exploit|url=https://www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2016/mar/11/government-help-to-buy-housing-scheme-house-of-cards|work=The Guardian|access-date=7 August 2018|date=11 March 2016}}

At the 2010 general election Bone was re-elected as the MP for Wellingborough with an increased majority of 18,540 votes, achieving a swing of 6.15%.Wellingborough (UK Parliament constituency)#Elections in the 2010s{{Circular reference|date=May 2024}}

Bone proposed a bill in July 2013, arguing that the August Bank Holiday should be renamed to Margaret Thatcher Day to commemorate her premiership.{{cite web|url=http://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2013-07-05/debates/13070542000003/MargaretThatcherDayBill#contribution-13070542001299|title=Margaret Thatcher Day Bill |work= Hansard Online|access-date=30 December 2017}} The bill ran out of time, due to filibustering by Labour MPs{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-23205132/tory-mp-peter-bone-runs-out-of-time-for-thatcher-day|title=MPs scupper Margaret Thatcher Day|work=BBC News|access-date=30 December 2017}} and formally ended its passage through Parliament in 2014.{{cite web|url=https://services.parliament.uk/bills/2013-14/margaretthatcherday.html|title=Margaret Thatcher Day Bill 2013–14 |publisher= UK Parliament|access-date=30 December 2017}}

In February 2014, The Times newspaper reported that Bone had been under investigation by the police during the previous 12 months relating to an alleged £100,000 fraud concerning benefit payments of care home fees for his mother-in-law.{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/tory-mp-is-quizzed-over-100-000-benefits-fraud-vgqjjtgvg63|title=Tory MP is quizzed over £100,00 benefits fraud|first=Andrew |last=Norfolk|work=The Times|date=25 February 2014|access-date=12 January 2015}} Bone issued a lengthy statement denying fraud allegations.{{cite news |last1=Bone |first1=Peter |title=In full: Wellingborough and Rushden MP Peter Bone's statement denying fraud allegations |url=http://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/top-stories/in-full-wellingborough-and-rushden-mp-peter-bone-s-statement-denying-fraud-allegations-1-5899370 |access-date=22 October 2023 |work=Northamptonshire Telegraph |date=2 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140303020455/http://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/top-stories/in-full-wellingborough-and-rushden-mp-peter-bone-s-statement-denying-fraud-allegations-1-5899370 |archive-date=3 March 2014}} In March 2014, the Crown Prosecution Service said it had concluded that there was insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10721709/MP-Peter-Bone-will-not-face-charges-over-care-home-fees.html|title=MP Peter Bone will not face charges over care home fees|last=Evans |first=Martin|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=25 March 2014|access-date=12 January 2015}}

Bone was frequently critical of the coalition government of the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. In the 2015 general election, he increased his majority by 1,347 achieving 52.1% of the votes cast,Wellingborough (UK Parliament constituency)#Elections in the 2010s{{Circular reference|date=May 2024}} and was re-elected in the 2017 general election with a decreased majority of 12,460.Wellingborough (UK Parliament constituency)#Elections in the 2010s{{Circular reference|date=May 2024}}

In February 2018, following the announcement that Northamptonshire County Council had brought in a "section 114" notice, putting it in special measures following a crisis in its finances, Bone was one of seven local MPs who released a statement arguing that the problems with the authority were down to mismanagement from the Conservative councillors who led it rather than funding cuts from the Conservative government. They further argued that government commissioners should take over the running of the council.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-42944394 |title=Northamptonshire MPs call for county council takeover |work=BBC News |date=5 February 2018 |access-date=7 August 2018}}

Before they separated, Bone employed his wife, Jennie, as his executive secretary.{{cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/090506/p2memi02.htm|title=REGISTER OF MEMBERS' INTERESTS (prepared pursuant to Resolution of the House of 27 March 2008)|publisher=Parliament.uk|access-date=5 December 2010}} In 2007–2008, he paid her "in the top bracket of up to £40,000" per annum.{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article4347249.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520022422/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article4347249.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 May 2009|work=The Times|title=Tory MPs' use of staff budgets to pay for PR advice 'against rules'|date=17 July 2008|access-date=5 December 2010}} The practice of MPs employing family members has been criticised by some sections of the media as nepotism.{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/11706561/One-in-four-MPs-employs-a-family-member-the-full-list-revealed.html |title=One in five MPs employs a family member: the full list revealed |date=29 June 2015 |work=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=7 August 2018}} Although MPs who were first elected in 2017 were banned from employing family members, the restriction was not retrospective – meaning that Bone's employment of his wife was lawful.{{cite news |title=MPs banned from employing spouses after election in expenses crackdown |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/mps-banned-from-employing-spouses-after-election-in-expenses-crackdown-a3520036.html |work=London Evening Standard |access-date=7 August 2018 |date=21 April 2017}}

In June 2018, Bone defended fellow Conservative MP Christopher Chope after he was widely criticised for blocking a private member's bill to make it illegal to take photos of people aimed up their skirts. Bone said that Chope was "a great parliamentarian and public servant" and stated that "a government upskirting bill should be introduced soon, properly scrutinised and will become law much faster than by the private member's bill route."{{cite news |url=https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/political-parties/conservative-party/theresa-may/news/96080/mp-who-blocked-upskirting-ban |title=MP who blocked upskirting ban has office strewn with women's underwear |website=Politics Home |date=18 June 2018 |access-date=5 August 2018}}

In the 2019 general election, Bone increased his majority over Labour to 18,540, achieving 62.2% of the votes cast.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14001025 |title=Wellingborough parliamentary constituency – Election 2019|work=BBC News |access-date=24 December 2021}}

After the 2022 British cabinet reshuffle, Bone was promoted to the front bench for the first time as Deputy Leader of the House of Commons. He voted for Liz Truss to be the new Conservative leader and was part of her transition team, but was sacked from his ministerial role after she became prime minister.{{cite news |last=Shipman |first=Tim |title=The rebels' smartphone spreadsheet that means Liz Truss is still in deep trouble |work=The Times |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/the-rebels-smartphone-spreadsheet-that-means-liz-truss-is-still-in-deep-trouble-0shzg86hq |access-date=8 October 2022 |issn=0140-0460}}

On 16 October 2023, the Independent Expert Panel recommended that Bone be suspended from the House of Commons, after a report found he had "committed many varied acts of bullying and one act of sexual misconduct" against a male member of his staff.{{cite news |last=Stacey |first=Kiran |date=16 October 2023 |title=Tory MP Peter Bone hit and abused staff member, watchdog says |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/oct/16/tory-mp-peter-bone-hit-and-abused-staff-member-watchdog-says |access-date=16 October 2023 |issn=0261-3077}} The report stated that, having booked a single room for the two of them on a work trip in 2013, Bone had "dropped his towel and exposed his genitals close to his employee's face" while they were in the bathroom and went on to expose himself to the complainant in their shared bedroom.{{cite news |last1=Stacey |first1=Kiran |title=Tory MP Peter Bone hit and abused staff member, watchdog says |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/oct/16/tory-mp-peter-bone-hit-and-abused-staff-member-watchdog-says |newspaper=The Guardian |date=16 October 2023}} Following that trip, Bone ostracised the complainant. Bone was also found to have pressured the man into massaging him when they were alone in the office, and to have thrown objects or struck him on a number of occasions.{{cite news |last1=Mitchell |first1=Archie |title=Tory MP 'exposed himself to staff member and trapped him in hotel bathroom' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/peter-bone-bullying-sexual-tory-mp-byelection-b2430361.html |access-date=16 October 2023 |newspaper=The Independent |date=16 October 2023}}

In 2015, an initial complaint was made by the man's father to the prime minister David Cameron, followed by a second complaint submitted to Theresa May (the new prime minister) in 2017.{{cite news |last1=Gibbons |first1=Amy |title=Tory MP Peter Bone exposed himself to staffer in Madrid hotel room |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/10/16/peter-bone-conservative-mp-bullying-sexual-misconduct-iep |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=16 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016213645/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/10/16/peter-bone-conservative-mp-bullying-sexual-misconduct-iep/ |archive-date=16 October 2023}} As the Conservative Party had not resolved its own investigation in a timely manner, the employee made a complaint through the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme in October 2021.{{cite web |title=The Conduct of Mr Peter Bone MP |url=https://www.parliament.uk/globalassets/mps-lords--offices/standards-and-financial-interests/independent-expert-panel/hc-1904---the-conduct-of-mr-peter-bone-mp.pdf |website=parliament.uk |publisher=The Independent Expert Panel |access-date=16 October 2023 |date=16 October 2023}} That led to an investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards who upheld the five allegations relating to bullying and harassment, and one of sexual misconduct by Bone. Bone appealed against the findings and the suspension, which were both upheld, and so a report to the house was made on 16 October 2023 recommending his suspension for six weeks.

Bone denied the allegations in the report via a post on the social media site X (formerly known as Twitter), stating the claims listed were "false and untrue" and "without foundation". He also said that the investigation by the IEP was "flawed" and "procedurally unfair".{{cite tweet |first=Peter |last=Bone |user=PeterBoneUK |number=1713858063503859938|title=Below is my statement on the publication of the IEP report today.}}{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-67122669|title=Peter Bone: Tory MP facing suspension after bullying probe|date=16 October 2023|work=BBC News}}

On 17 October, the Conservative Party withdrew the whip, suspending him from his membership of the Parliamentary Conservative Party; he continued sitting as an independent MP until 19 December 2023 following the outcome of a recall petition against him.{{cite news |date=17 October 2023 |title=Peter Bone suspended as Tory MP after bullying probe |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-67137918 |access-date=23 October 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Faye |title=Peter Bone: Tory MP kicked out of parliamentary party after bullying and sexual misconduct allegations |url=https://news.sky.com/story/tory-mp-peter-bone-loses-whip-after-bullying-and-sexual-misconduct-allegations-12986340 |work=Sky News |access-date=17 October 2023 |date=17 October 2023}}

{{main|2023 Wellingborough recall petition}}

Following a vote in the House of Commons, Bone was suspended from the House on 25 October 2023 for six weeks.{{Cite web |title=Commons business 25 October 2023 |url=https://commonsbusiness.parliament.uk/Document/82442/Pdf?subType=Standard}}{{Cite news |last=Allegretti |first=Aubrey |date=25 October 2023 |title=Labour looks to force byelection after Tory MP Peter Bone is suspended |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/oct/25/conservative-mp-peter-bone-suspended-for-six-weeks |access-date=26 October 2023 |issn=0261-3077}} The Recall of MPs Act 2015 requires a recall petition to be held for an MP suspended for ten days or more. If 10% of constituents sign it, the MP is recalled, requiring a by-election to elect a new MP for the constituency.{{cite web |date=19 October 2021 |title=Independent Expert Panel Recommendations for Sanctions and the Recall of MPs Act 2015 |url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2021-10-19/debates/96D9B04A-5361-49A4-B22B-3A1814442036/IndependentExpertPanelRecommendationsForSanctionsAndTheRecallOfMpsAct2015 |access-date=16 October 2023 |website=hansard.parliament.uk}}{{cite news |date=16 October 2023 |title=Tory MP Peter Bone faces Commons ban over bullying and sexual misconduct claims |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/peter-bone-tory-sexual-misconduct-bullying-commons-ban/ |access-date=16 October 2023 |work=Politico}} The recall petition was successful, with 10,505 votes out of a possible 79,402 eligible votes (13.2%), and Bone ceased to be a Member of Parliament, leaving the seat vacant and triggering a by-election in the Wellingborough constituency. The threshold to achieve a successful petition was 7,940 (or more) signatures. Bone reacted the result by describing the decision as "bizarre".{{cite news |url=https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/people/ousted-wellingborough-mp-peter-bone-rants-against-recall-petition-result-branding-it-bizarre-and-again-denying-allegations-that-triggered-by-election-4452034 |title=Ousted Wellingborough MP Peter Bone rants against recall petition result, branding it 'bizarre' and again denying allegations that triggered by-election |work=Northamptonshire Telegraph |date=19 December 2023 |first=Alison |last=Bagley}}

Bone did not stand as a candidate at the 2024 Wellingborough by-election, however his partner and former parliamentary assistant, Helen Harrison, was the Conservative candidate.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67905750 |title=Conservatives pick Peter Bone's partner as candidate for his old seat |date=7 January 2024 |work=BBC News}} The by-election was won by the Labour Party candidate, Gen Kitchen.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/feb/16/labour-wins-wellingborough-byelection-gen-kitchen |title=Labour overturns 18,000 Tory majority to win Wellingborough byelection |work=The Guardian |date=15 February 2024 |first=Sammy |last=Gecsoyler}}

On 31 October, following his suspension from the House of Commons and the Conservative whip, Bone was reported to have been campaigning with government minister Tom Pursglove.{{Cite news |last=Adu |first=Aletha |date=29 October 2023 |title=Minister seen campaigning with suspended former Tory MP Peter Bone |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/oct/29/minister-seen-campaigning-with-suspended-tory-mp-peter-bone |access-date=31 October 2023 |issn=0261-3077}} Following criticism by the Labour Party about this, the Prime Minister's spokesman said that Rishi Sunak had confidence in Pursglove.{{Cite news |date=30 October 2023 |title=Peter Bone: PM has confidence in minister who campaigned with suspended MP |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-67264809 |access-date=31 October 2023}}

Bone is regarded as being on the right wing of the Conservative Party, and is a member of the socially conservative traditionalist Cornerstone Group.{{cite news |last=Stacey |first=Kiran |date=16 October 2023 |title=Tory MP Peter Bone hit and abused staff member, watchdog says |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/oct/16/tory-mp-peter-bone-hit-and-abused-staff-member-watchdog-says |access-date=17 October 2023 |issn=0261-3077}} He has voted to lower the abortion time limit to 12 weeks and voted against abolishing the offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel. He has urged the Charity Commission to award the tax breaks of registration to any legal faith group.{{cite web|url=https://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/2012/12/peter-bone-mp.html|title=Peter Bone MP: Religious institutions should not be under attack from the Charity Commission|website=Conservative Home}} The abortion time limit vote failed, the blasphemy vote passed, and tax breaks were not awarded.{{cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmsctech/1045/104502.htm|title=House of Commons – Science and Technology – Twelfth Report|website=www.publications.parliament.uk}}{{cite web|url=http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2008-05-06&number=170&display=allvotes|title=Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill: Blasphemy — 6 May 2008 at 21:45 — The Public Whip|website=www.publicwhip.org.uk}}

Bone opposed the introduction of the National Minimum Wage, which he claimed would "condemn hundreds of thousands to the dole queue" and, in 2009, backed a private member's bill tabled by his colleague, Christopher Chope, proposing to enable employees to opt out of the minimum wage.{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/may/13/minimum-wage-tory-bill|title=Tory bill attempts to water down minimum wage|date=13 May 2009|work=The Guardian|access-date=3 December 2010|location=London}}

In 2009, Bone said of the National Health Service (NHS): "We have gone from having one of the best health services in the Western world to arguably the worst", which had "centralised and Stalinist management".{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/cameron-woe-deepens-over-nhs-dissent-1773092.htmlFstalinis |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/cameron-woe-deepens-over-nhs-dissent-1773092.htmlFstalinis |archive-date=25 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Cameron woe deepens over NHS dissent|date=17 August 2009|newspaper=The Independent}}

Bone described government proposals to introduce same-sex marriage rights as "completely nuts".{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17221312|title=Gay wedding plans 'completely nuts' – Peter Bone MP|work=BBC News|date=1 March 2012|access-date=2 March 2012}} He subsequently voted against the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21346694|title=The full list of MPs voting for or against the government's same-sex marriage legislation|work=BBC News |date=5 February 2013 |access-date=5 February 2013}}

In 2013, Bone was one of four MPs who camped outside Parliament in a move to facilitate parliamentary debate on what they called an "Alternative Queen's Speech" – an attempt to show what a future Conservative government might deliver.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23021212|title=Cameron's hand tied by Lib Dems – Tory MP Peter Bone|work=BBC News|date=23 June 2013 |access-date=29 June 2013}}{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10133076/Conservative-MPs-launch-attempt-to-bring-back-death-penalty-privatise-the-BBC-and-ban-burka.html|title=Conservative MPs launch attempt to bring back death penalty, privatise the BBC, rename the August bank holiday "Margaret Thatcher Day" and ban burka|newspaper=Daily Telegraph|first=Robert |last=Watts|date=20 June 2013|access-date=21 June 2013|location=London}} Forty-two policies were listed including reintroduction of the death penalty and conscription, privatising the BBC, banning the burka in public places, and preparation to leave the European Union. The Daily Telegraph believed the whips sent Edward Leigh to try to persuade the group not to table the amendments. Bone blamed the Liberal Democrats for tying David Cameron's hands.

A prominent Eurosceptic, Bone was often named as a potential defector to the UK Independence Party (UKIP). In 2014, Bone described UKIP's emergence as a "good thing for British politics", and criticised his own party for "neglecting" the views of traditional Conservatives on other issues such as immigration, but said he intended to campaign for withdrawal from the EU from within the Conservative Party.{{cite news |last1=Bone |first1=Peter |title=I remain a Tory, but Ukip is a good thing |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/20/peter-bone-not-defecting-ukip-tory-eu-referendum |access-date=4 September 2015 |newspaper=The Guardian |date=20 November 2014}} Bone is a director of Grassroots Out and was a director of the now-dissolved Go Movement Limited, with Nigel Farage and Tom Pursglove.

In September 2019, Bone said that a general election would be a "good thing" and a necessary step in order to establish a "Conservative government with a majority" and prevent a no-deal Brexit.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-politics-49564937/peter-bone-mp-general-election-a-good-thing|title=Peter Bone MP: General election a good thing|work=BBC News|access-date=16 September 2019}} Bone said that Boris Johnson would be an "excellent prime minister and get a proper Brexit deal and lead us to victory in the next general election". On 6 June 2022, after a vote of no confidence in Johnson's leadership was called, Bone announced that he would vote in support of him.{{cite tweet |first=Peter |last=Bone |user=PeterBoneUK |number=1533753770047324167 |title=Today I will vote for the Prime Minister he has my 100% support. He has got all the big calls right. Today I have spoken to my Conservative association chairman, Deputy chairman, voluntary agent and CWCC chairwoman all are fully behind Boris!}}

Bone married Jeanette Sweeney in 1981, and they had two sons and a daughter. In 2016, Bone separated from his wife, who is a Conservative councillor in the Borough of Wellingborough, and they were divorced in 2019. Bone is currently in a relationship with physiotherapist Helen Harrison, who has been his senior parliamentary assistant since 2019.{{cite news |last=Rayner |first=Gordon |date=12 January 2018 |title=Why the legendary Mrs Bone will no longer be a fixture in Parliamentary debates |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/01/12/legendary-mrs-bone-will-no-longer-fixture-parliamentary-debates/ |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=11 May 2018}}

Bone played cricket as a left-arm bowler for Cambridge Methodists Cricket Club in Leeds.{{cite web |url=http://cambridgemethodists.play-cricket.com/website/results/401650 |title=Cambridge Methodists CC – Weekend XI Vs Leeds Doctors – 1st XI |publisher=Cambridge Methodists |date=5 September 2010}}{{cite web |url=http://www.almondburycasuals.co.uk/match-reports/Cambridge-Meths-07.pdf |title=Almondbury Casuals Cricket Club Match Report |publisher=Almondbury Casuals Cricket Club |date=8 July 2007}} He also played cricket as a member of a Parliamentarians team, alongside Crispin Blunt and Hugh Robertson.{{cite web |url=https://www.jeremylefroy.org.uk/news/parliamentarians-narrowly-beat-lichfield-diocese |title=Parliamentarians narrowly beat Lichfield Diocese |publisher=Jeremy Lefroy |date=11 June 2011}}

Bone primarily lives in London, but also owns a flat in the Denington Estate (formerly John Lea School site) in Wellingborough.

In March 2022, a man from Wellingborough pleaded guilty to three malicious communications offences of sending abusive and offensive messages to Bone's office phone relating to the government's Covid-19 restrictions, and was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months.{{cite news|url=https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/people/restraining-order-for-man-sentenced-for-abusive-phone-calls-to-peter-bone-mp-3601714|title=Restraining order for man sentenced for abusive phone calls to Peter Bone MP|date=8 March 2022|work=Northants Telegraph}}{{cite news |date=7 March 2022 |title=Peter Bone MP: Man sentenced for abusive Covid messages |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-60653976 |access-date=21 October 2023}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.conservatives.com/People/Members_of_Parliament/Bone_Peter.aspx Peter Bone MP] biography at the site of the Conservative Party
• [http://wellingboroughconservatives.org Wellingborough Conservatives]
• [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/mpdb/html/619.stm BBC Politics page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213145000/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/mpdb/html/619.stm |date=13 February 2009 }}
• {{UK MP links | parliament = mr-peter-bone/1581 | hansardcurr = 4750 | guardian = 6172/peter-bone | publicwhip = Peter_Bone | theywork = peter_bone}}
• {{C-SPAN|1017002}}

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Category:1952 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Billericay

Category:People educated at Westcliff High School for Boys

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Category:Sexual harassment in the United Kingdom

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