Former Tory minister George Freeman pleads guilty to using phone while driving

A former Tory transport minister has been fined hundreds of pounds after pleading guilty to using a phone while driving. George Freeman is understood to have been caught breaking the law after a cyclist took a photo of him using his phone at the wheel. The Mid Norfolk MP claimed he was checking his phone for an alternative route when he was stuck in traffic. Mr Freeman - who served as a transport minister in Boris Johnson's government - was slapped with six points on his licence and was fined £430 after pleading guilty to using a handheld mobile phone device while driving a car on a road at a hearing in Stratford Magistrates Court on September 1.

He also had to pay a surcharge of £172 to support justice services and costs of £130 to the Metropolitan police force. Mr Freeman told the Mirror : “I was sitting in gridlocked traffic and checking Waze on my phone. I took full responsibility and deeply regret my actions.” A Labour source said: "After the Tories’ last joyride crashed the economy, you’d think the former Transport minister would have learned to take better care behind the wheel."

Mr Freeman was elected as MP for Mid Norfolk in 2010 and held government roles in Mr Johnson and Rishi Sunak ’s governments. He came under fire in 2024 after he claimed his almost £120,000 ministerial salary was not enough to cover his mortgage repayments. The Conservative MP, who was first elected in 2010, said he had quit as a science minister in November 2023 as his £118,300 salary would not cover his £2,000. Quitting the government would allow him to take up second jobs, on top of his salary as an MP, which was then about £86,000.

In a blog post, he said he quit his role “because my mortgage rises this month from £800pcm to £2,000, which I simply couldn't afford to pay on a ministerial salary". Mr Freeman was criticised by voters in his area, with one at the time saying they had “no sympathy”. Hannah Hirst, a constituent of Mr Freeman, posted online at the time: "Boohoo poor Mr Freeman.. such a hard life he leads isn't it.. maybe he should stop spending on other luxury items he has failed to mention?

Absolute joke.”