A Norfolk MP has been fined for using his mobile phone behind the wheel.
George Freeman, who represents Mid Norfolk, was caught using his phone by a cyclist and later pleaded guilty to the offence at Stratford Magistrates’ Court on September 1.
He was fined £430 and given six penalty points, along with a surcharge of £172 to support justice services and £130 in costs.
Mr Freeman, a former Conservative transport minister, said he was checking a navigation app while stuck in traffic.
He told The Mirror: "I was sitting in gridlocked traffic and checking Waze on my phone.
"I took full responsibility and deeply regret my actions."
Mr Freeman has served as Mid Norfolk’s MP since 2010 and has held several ministerial roles under previous prime ministers Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak.
He resigned as science minister in 2023, saying he could not afford rising mortgage repayments on a ministerial salary of nearly £120,000.
Since leaving government, he has taken on additional work alongside his MP duties.
In April 2024, he became a paid adviser to GHGSat, a company specialising in greenhouse gas emissions monitoring.
Last year, he was suspended from his position as government trade envoy to Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Brunei after referring himself to the parliamentary watchdog.
This followed claims that he was paid by a company that assisted in drafting questions to government departments.
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