Conservative Norfolk MP George Freeman fined for driving offence

George Freeman, the Conservative Member of Parliament for Mid Norfolk and a former transport minister, has expressed deep regret after being caught using a mobile phone while driving. He admitted his guilt at Stratford Magistrates’ Court in London on September 1, where he was fined and received six penalty points on his driving licence. Freeman explained that he was checking a navigation app during a traffic jam when the incident occurred.

The court imposed a fine of £430 on Freeman, who was also required to pay a £172 surcharge to support justice services, along with £130 in costs payable to the Metropolitan Police. The offence was initially reported by a cyclist who noticed Freeman using his phone behind the wheel. Responding to the situation, the MP took full responsibility for his actions and stated, “I was sitting in gridlocked traffic and checking Waze on my phone. I took full responsibility and deeply regret my actions.”

Freeman has been a member of Parliament since 2010, representing Mid Norfolk, and has held several ministerial roles during Conservative governments. Notably, he served as transport minister under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson from July 2019 until February 2020. In 2023, he stepped down from his position as science minister, citing the inability to cope with rising mortgage payments on his ministerial salary of nearly £120,000. This decision enabled him to increase his income through external engagements alongside his MP salary, which at the time was £86,584.

More recently, Freeman took on a paid advisory role with GHGSat, a company specializing in monitoring greenhouse gas emissions, starting in April 2024. However, last year he faced a suspension from his duties as a government trade envoy for Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Brunei. This followed his voluntary referral to the parliamentary watchdog after allegations surfaced that a GHGSat director assisted him in drafting questions submitted to government departments