South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon could find himself embroiled in citizenship scandal

POPULAR South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon will let the High Court decide his fate — if he is confirmed as a dual citizen of the United Kingdom.

THE High Court could be called on to determine whether a seventh federal MP is eligible to sit in parliament, after Nick Xenophon sought urgent advice on his citizenship from British authorities.

The parliament has already referred senators Matt Canavan, Larissa Waters, Scott Ludlam and Malcolm Roberts, and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce to the court to determine whether they are disqualified under section 44 of the constitution, which bans dual nationals.

On Thursday night, just before the parliament rose for a two-week break, Nationals deputy leader Fiona Nash revealed she had been advised of British citizenship by descent.

But her referral to the court won’t occur until parliament returns on September 4.

Senator Xenophon said the saga had turned into a “train wreck” for the Federal Parliament.

The Liberals are publicly standing by the junior Coalition partner’s leadership team, including deputy PM Barnaby Joyce, but are privately furious at what one senior source said was their “rank amateurism”.

On Friday, Senator Xenophon told reporters he had sought advice from the British Home Office and UK high commission whether he had any UK ties.

The Advertiser last week raised questions about a possible issue with Senator Xenophon’s citizenship status .

Senator Xenophon was born in Adelaide but his father Theo Xenophou was born in Cyprus, which was a British territory until 1960, and came to Australia in 1951 as a British citizen.

His mother was born in Greece.

Before he was first elected in 2007, he wrote to the Greek embassy and Cypriot high commission to renounce any possible citizenship.

Senator Nick Xenophon.

However he started making inquiries about British ties when it was raised with him by journalists and after Labor members taunted him about it in the corridors of Parliament House last week.

“I’m writing to the UK Home Office and contacting the UK High Commission ... I’m doing all I can to clarify it and sort it out,” Senator Xenophon told reporters in Adelaide.

He will publicly release all documents as soon as possible, but would not stand aside from the Senate if the issue was referred to the High Court.

“The great irony is my father left Cyprus in 1951 in order to get away from British occupation of Cyprus,” the senator said.

“The suggestion I could be a British citizen is something that would absolutely horrify my father.”

Mr Xenophon’s revelation caps a dramatic 24 hours for the SA Senator.

On Thursday, his fledgling SA Best party was rocked by the snap resignation of its only sitting member of Parliament, just seven months from the state election.

Upper House MP John Darley declared late Thursday he had quit the SA Best and Nick Xenophon Team parties.

He said he would remain in Parliament as an independent until his term finishes in 2022, prompting Senator Xenophon to demand that he quit parliament.

Mr Darley said he had argued with Senator Xenophon over the name of the new state-based SA Best party and policies on the proposed bank tax and electoral reform.

He said a key problem was that Senator Xenophon “just wants everything his own way”.