Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

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Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

Why anyone believes our politicians should/would/could behave differently to those anywhere else in the world is beyond me . .

Sleaze and corruption by those with power & influence (not just in politics) has been around since time began.

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

The journey from the Empire on which the sun never set towards a failed state continues.

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

Well said. I still have that Telegraph magazine somewhere with its great investigation into MPs' misuse of expenses. The Telegraph's best piece of journalism. We're in danger of regressing to those dark days.

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

I think you may find that 'the Empire on which the sun never set' was a damn sight worse in many ways :D

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

The daily fail blames the commons rather than the CONservatives . Careful with it's wording so that it doesn't fall out of favour

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

As I read it the suspension was of long enough duration that he could face deselection so a right to appeal the findings is needed before serving a sentence like that.
If the appeal fails then sentence should stand.
The whole system needs to be made much clearer but with proper checks in place and a clear appeals system that may kick in earlier if the punishment meted could have longer consequences that desired.
Plus parliamentary suspension should be the least of worries for those found guilty of corruption and the like, but all should be done in a calm and proper way, no witch hunts or whitewashing. And I'm sure that not all MP's simply voted along party lines but I'd hope many would thoughtfully consider all the implications of votes which is not something the great public always do.

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

A problem the Tories only discovered when one of their own was caught out. If that was really the objection then it would apply for new cases referred for investigation and not when it had all played out and just as one of their MPs was due to be suspended.

Anyway it's just been announced they've u-turned.

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

Got. It. In. One.

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

Common sense has prevailed.
:clap::clap::clap:

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

Taken from Twitter earlier:

In 2018, when Iain Paisley Jr was suspended by the Committee on Standards for failing to declare two family holidays paid for by the Sri Lankan Government, the Tories didn’t change the rules because ‘the process is unfair’.

In 2019, when Labour’s Keith Vaz was suspended by the Committee on Standards for expressing a willingness to purchase cocaine for sex workers, the Tories didn’t change the rules because ‘the process is unfair’.

In 2020, when Tory Conor Burns was suspended by the Committee on Standards for intimidating a member of the public, the Tories didn’t change the rules because ‘the process is unfair’.

Boris Johnson’s mate, Owen Paterson, reportedly takes half a million pounds and is suspended by the Committee on Standards for "repeatedly used his privileged position to benefit two companies for whom he was a paid consultant, and that this has brought the house into disrepute" and that "no previous case of paid advocacy has seen so many breaches or such a clear pattern of behaviour in failing to separate private and public interests", the Tories vote to CHANGE THE RULES because ‘the process is unfair’.

---------- Post added at 12:11 ---------- Previous post was at 12:07 ----------

I strongly doubt “common sense” had anything to do with this latest u-turn.

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

If they had an ounce of common sense they wouldn’t have set themselves up for such an obvious own-goal. Somebody, somewhere has finally managed to kick them into crisis management mode; they’ve started to realise what an appalling screw up this is and now a sense of self-preservation has prevailed.

Someone’s head should roll for this. I am having a hard time believing that all the most senior members of government were fully engaged - my suspicion is that due to COP26 someone junior-ish has led the process and the senior cabinet has been distracted enough to simply accept assurances that the planning has been done, the party is on board and opposition complaints can be swept aside. But whoever that is now ought to be considering their position.

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

I'm just pleased that common sense has prevailed.