Rogue MP Jami-Lee Ross sends apology letters to National MPs

January 23, 2019

1 NEWS understands the letters were personalised.

National MPs have received apology letters from embattled MP Jami-Lee Ross, in which he attempts to explain his dramatic actions last year. 

Jessica Mutch McKay, 1 NEWS' political editor, understands each National MP was given a personalised letter. 

Before he left the party, Mr Ross held the position of senior whip for National, which made him privy to private information.

He promised in the letters that he would not reveal those details, adding that he is not intending to cause trouble when he returns to Parliament. 

However, one of the MPs that 1 NEWS talked to described the letter as "self-serving". 

Yesterday,  Mr Ross released a lengthy Facebook  post asking his constituents for understanding and offering an olive branch to Simon Bridges - three months after his public feud with the Opposition Leader led to his ouster from the party.

Titled, "Leaving bitterness and hatred behind", Mr Ross said he's been "to hell and back".

"I almost lost everything..." he wrote. "I just can’t be driven by hatred anymore, or the pursuit of getting even with Simon Bridges, Paula Bennett or anyone else in the National Party."

Mr Ross is set to step back into the halls of Parliament next month, with the only possible road bump being the newly established  waka-jumping law , which could push him out of Parliament completely and spark a by-election. 

Leader Simon Bridges did not want to talk about the issue today, saying he wanted to move on. 

MP Judith Collins said she did receive a letter from Mr Ross, adding that it sounded "awfully like the one that apparently was put on Facebook yesterday".

"I realised there wasn't a lot of personal thought put into it so I decided to do what I do with all chain letters, which was to ignore it," she said.

Mr Ross was dumped by National last year, but will be back as an independent MP in February when Parliament returns.

Embattled MP Jami-Lee Ross released the latest recording this morning.

Drama surrounded the now-independent MP after an  explosive series of events  occurring from last October after Mr Ross made allegations against Mr Bridges, who denied all allegations. 

Mr Ross released secret recordings between himself and Mr Bridges.

He has been on medical leave, giving his proxy vote to NZ First. 

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