Hartlepool MP's Business, Almost Faced Closure Over Document Delays....

Hartlepool Labour MP Jonathan Brash warned 'his business was at risk of closure', when he failed to provide documents as requested by Companies House last month...

1st November 2024

A Former Hartlepool Councillor, who now sits as the towns Labour MP has reportedly narrowly averted a serious setback involving one of his businesses, after failing to submit mandatory documents to Companies House on time.

The oversight is said to have triggered a formal warning to Labour MP Jonathan Brash from Companies House, placing his business 'Hargreaves Brash Properties Ltd' at risk of compulsory closure if the necessary paperwork wasn't promptly filed.

The warning, issued by Companies House, demanded Mr. Brash submit the company's annual confirmation statements within two months to avoid winding-up proceedings. The statements are said to be a statutory requirement to confirm that the company information registered with Companies House remains accurate and up-to-date. Brash's failure to comply could have led to the firm 'Hargreaves Brash Properties Ltd' being dissolved, a move that would have led to the transfer all the assets held by the company—including Mr. Brash’s £600k property in Spennymoor, County Durham—to the Crown.

Sources claim that Mr. Brash acted swiftly upon receiving the notice, filing the overdue documents just days after the formal warning was issued. However, the close call raises questions about the Labour MP’s oversight of his business interests, particularly given his role as a public official.

Mr. Brash has recently advocated for tighter regulations on local businesses and property developers in Hartlepool, with opponents likely to question whether his lapse in corporate governance reflects broader issues of accountability. Furthermore, constituents may find it rather concerning that an MP responsible for local legislation almost allowed his own company to fall afoul of regulatory requirements.

Mr Brash has been previously critisised for accepting a political donation to his election campaign from Gary Lubner, a South African Lobbyist with Controversial ties to Israel.

Questions about Mr Brash's donations received by the trade union 'Unite' have also not gone unnoticed in the wake of the Trade Unions alleged investigation by the serious fraud office (SFO) over alleged 'financial irregularities' over the construction of a multi million pound hotel project which went millions over budget, however there's been no statement made by the SFO as to whether the investigations into the Trade Unions financial activities will encompass its donations made to several Labour MP's & candidates in the May 2024 Elections.....