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

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59154221


I am disgusted. Such flagrant disregard for parliamentary rules by The Tory Party.:mad:

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

no surprise it the corrupt party imagine the outcry if it was a labour MP that done when Paterson done

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

MPs are laughing at us.

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

Paterson hasn’t been let off - at least yet!

As I understand it, the issue is the lack of a right to appeal. Isn’t that more in line with the courts, employment law requirements of employers, etc?

Why that was not already in place is difficult to fathom.

But whatever happens next, if Paterson is as guilty as hell, that’s what the finding should be.

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

That's all spin for the weak-minded party faithful to lap up. Even MPs don't believe that hyperbole though they do feel understandably sorry for the popular MP in question whose wife committed suicide last year. It's just a purely political decision which lessens the checks and balances in British democracy. When one of Johnson's men was caught out by the rules, they decided to change the rules.

As Robert Shrimsley in the FT notes
https://www.ft.com/content/859a0859-...a-8e22131eab97

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

That is your inevitable opinion, but Paterson is not off the hook. All the PM is saying is that he, and every MP, should have the right of appeal.

What’s wrong with that?

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

If you want to change the legislation then go about it in the proper and timely manner. Don't change the rules because your mate's been caught out to stop him being punished. A glance at tomorrow's headlines shows this situation has not played out well with sleaze a common thread.

Shameless MPs sink back into sleaze (Daily Mail)

PM accused of corruption as rukes on sleaze torn up (The Guardian)

Tories rip up Britain's anti-sleaze rules to save guilty MP (The i)

The Sleazy Way Out (Metro)

https://news.sky.com/story/wednesday...pages-12427754

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

Wait .... papers attack government ... shocking .. who would have guessed that ...

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

Probably the same people who would have guessed the tories would be up to their cheating necks on sleeze and corruption by now and that should be everyone, guess what though, if they didn't have the morals of a third world junta the press wouldn't be able to attack them

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

and if you believe that, I have an Eiffel Tower to sell you. :rolleyes:

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

They're unusually strong headlines. And the Daily Mail is a Conservative newspaper.

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

If that genuinely was the reason behind this then why hadn't the Tories done something about it before?

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

Your links prove nothing - they are just opinions. The Conservatives could have voted not to support the committee's recommendation, but they chose instead to establish the right of appeal.

Paterson has been claiming that his case was not properly investigated and it highlighted that the existing process was defective. A right of appeal is nothing more than natural justice - something you would be howling from the rooftops if it was a Labour MP.

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

Given that 51 Tory MP's voted against this despite a three line whip, Labour had a golden opportunity to defeat the government. So why didn't they?

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

He is off the hook, the Tories 'reformed' process isn't going to suddenly find against the man they've decided to tear up the existing process to protect.

The Tories have an 80 seat majority. The bill passed by a margin of 18.

They would have needed more than 51 rebels (and only 13 voted against, others either abstained or were absent).

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
 

would you like to make a donation

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.

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

An embarrassing climb down but at least we know the direction the Tories want to take us in. At some point they’ll come back with the same proposals just like the Paul Dacre OFCOM farce.

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

But the sleaze reputation won’t be washed off so easily. I think “power” has gone to their heads in No. 10, power borrowed from Coronavirus Act and just thinking that they can ride over roughshod in other aspects of Parliamentary traditions and conventions. I voted for the Conservatives, but the rules can’t be bent like this under any circumstances.

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

If you or I displayed these levels of corruption and dishonesty we'd be in trouble with the police, I'm fine with that if they want to scrap the privilege of investigating each other, you know because they can't be trusted and be subject to the same rules and consequences as the rest of us

Of course it didn't, they want to be above any rules or laws and only backed down because in the press and publics eyes they'd gone to far. The more I see and hear I'm not even convinced this was about Patterson, he was a useful tool to use so bozo isn't investigated for his decorating or holidays, the ppe and test and trace fiasco/ thefts, hancocks sister etc etc etc

I heard earlier Krazy Kwarteng being asked if he could give one example of bozo promoting or upholding Standards in public life and the only thing he could answer with is we promised to get brexit done and did, really, seriously really and that exonerates the cabal from anything evermore?

and what, we just forget about it because common sense prevailed, they'd love that I'm sure

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

The Nigel Farage playbook - keep on pushing something until you get the "right" vote.

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

No!Not at all We just appreciate that even they can realise when they have taken a step too far.It's basically all we have against these muppets.

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

Fish rot from the head down though a scape goat might be found necessary.

Johnson's government is more a populist than Conservative government and as such aims to get away with as much as it can.

You only have to look at the PPE fast lane for ministers and and the initial protection of Cummins with his rose garden speech to know the government's modus operandi.

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

The whips might be responsible for misreading the mood within the party and the opposition and some senior strategist might have misread how the public/media would react but the significance of what they were proposing cannot have been missed by the senior members of the Government. It's just bad advice may have meant they felt they could get away with it without too much cost.

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

The u-turn has been too quick and too comprehensive for senior cabinet members to have been fully up to speed and supportive of this. Don’t get me wrong, if their eyes were off the ball they shoulder their share of the blame, but I don’t think this can have been initiated, planned and signed off at the top. It has been put together lower down the food chain and signed off by ministers who have had their minds on other things.

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

Unsurprisingly the Government that can do no wrong has… yet again… not done any wrong.

Your confidence in their competence far, far exceeds mine.

I’m curious at what point would/could they make a mistake that can’t be blamed on junior ministers, the civil service, a ramshackle group of behavioural scientists/sociologists, the private sector not delivering, etc.

It’s equally likely, if not more probable, at a senior level they believed they could rush this through precisely because everyone else was distracted by COP26. The state propaganda machine that is the BBC - via Laura Kuessenberg - pushing the narrative that this was a Westminster village story didn’t spawn itself into existence all by itself.

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

It required a Parliamentary vote, Boris Johnson to have lines prepared at PMQs and Rees-Mogg to lead the debate on the vote in the Commons. It's not a particularly complicated vote either. How could they not have been aware of what they were doing?

If this were a small part of a bill they overlooked or a Government department implementing something off somewhere else then you can understand how they might have missed it. But this required those very ministers to argue in favour of the vote in the commons and march through the lobby?

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

Spot on.

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

Owen Paterson quits as MP after row over suspension

https://news.sky.com/story/owen-pate...nsion-12459825

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

Why stay when you can make much more in the private sector ;)

Would be interesting to see if the fact he is no longer an MP means his private sector income reduces. After all, he will have all this extra time it really shouldn’t if he was genuinely being paid for his skills or insight.

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
 

True, being an MP was hindering his money making !

Don't know why anyone is surprised by this. This Govt is rotten to the Boris core. We've swapped hedgemonic Brussels and given the absolute power to an even more corrupt set up. Well done us !

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

I wonder when Claudia Webbe will be in front of the Standards Committee?

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

200 hours of community service to do first

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

Hopefully around the same time Owen Paterson is in court.

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

Yes, but at least we can evict corrupt and lost souls via the ballot box, we couldn’t do sweet FA with those lot in the corrupted EU.

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

I suspect being an MP was the making of his lobbying career. He can only hope that the contacts he has built up as an MP can still be tapped.

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

One can only imagine threatening to throw acid into someone's face was the highlight of her political career.

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
 

What she did was literally a criminal offence so they can already recall her. She has already been kicked out of Labour so won’t be their candidate. Unfortunately I don’t think she can be automatically removed as she didn’t get a years sentence.

Labour are pushing for a recall petition though so hopefully she’ll be out.

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

What 'direction' is that ?

They screwed this one up badly, but I dont see how that indicates a direction of anything.


I've also removed a number of posts from this topic.
Disliking or disagreeing with a political party fine, but throwing around strong generic insults is not ok.
Clearly many of the party disagreed with this from the start.

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

Lowering the threshold for standards in public life, essentially normalising and permitting what would reasonably be described as corruption in any civilised democracy.

250 of them didn’t walk down the division lobby approving of something more appropriate to a banana republic by accident.

Kwasi Kwarteng summed it up when pressed on standards when interviewed “we delivered Brexit.”

It’s the division that, for some, will give them a free pass.

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

Right, Im sure thats exactly the plan. :rolleyes:
That Eiffel Tower is still for sale if you want to buy it. ;)

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

And that is why I use the insult that I use. I’ve never been a Tory fan but this incarnation (especially those in the Cabinet) is the worst excuse of human beings I’ve ever encountered.

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

I’m not really sure why the need for the rolling of eyes. They literally voted to undermine and then replace the independent standards body. At the same time they have decided to rerun the selection of the OFCOM Chair in order to impose a political ally as the outcome of a selection process from which he was sifted out the first time.

If politicians are free to earn six figure sums to represent the interests of corporations instead of their constituents and the freedom of the media is undermined by a politically driven regulatory body I see no other conclusion that can legitimately be reached.

It’s more appropriate to Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe than the “mother of all Parliaments”.

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

At the end of all of it, the Tories are in a worse position than before. They've had all these bad headlines, Owen Paterson would have been suspended but unlikely to have been recalled but instead he's gone.

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

Let’s not miss out proroguing Parliament, lying to the Queen, selling the House a BS story about having an “oven ready” deal as well as breaking the law “in a specific and limited way”.

I could go on but you get my point. This shower of brown-stuff think the law and rules don’t apply to them.

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

How very true. And as a bonus, if he feels that he has been misjudged in relation to his conduct in the future, he will have the right of appeal.

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

I’m not sure why he would appeal his own resignation in disgrace.

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

It's a lovely theory but one that bears little resemblance to constitutional reality.

For example, Zac Goldsmith gets kicked out from his Richmond Park constituency via the ballot box. What happens next? Johnson gives him a peerage and retains him as a Minister. Goldsmith happens to provide Johnson with free holidays at his £25k-a-night family house in Spain.

So Goldsmith stays in government to become yet another unelected official we cannot evict via the ballot box.

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
 

I said his conduct in the future. Sadly, you seem to have problems understanding that word ‘future’, jfman.

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

I'd prefer not to let them forget we know what they are, the selfservatives

Don't think so, they don't get to try and circumvent the rules and then change the subject just because they got caught out

I wonder why you've brought her up now and not before, was it for a bit of deflection and whataboutery rather than her unsavory character and crimes?

You think a man of his talents would make this money in the private sector then?

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

Your implication was that he would benefit from being corrupt in the private sector in that he would have an appeal process.

As I correctly said I’m not sure resigning in disgrace then appealing is the most solid grounds for an employment tribunal.

I am however hugely entertained by this cruel world of politics narrative being pushed. Yes, it’s a cruel world that allows you to trouser half a million quid moonlighting for 11 days a year serving corporate interests instead of your constituents.

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

Hold on!

The Government is abandoning the new process MPs voted for only yesterday?

This clearly is a slap in the face for the Sovereignty of our Parliament, blatantly ignoring the will of our elected representatives.

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

Of course you dont, you will never see anything unless it suits your hatred of said government.

As I see it, he broke some rules, at some point, and got caught.
For some bizarre reason, a few of his allies tried to get him off the hook in an entirely dumb way.
Unsurprisingly, it totally backfired on them, and they all ended up looking very stupid and foolish.
It all seems entirely unnecessary, they should have just left him to do his original (30 day ?) suspension.

Is this part of some nefarious dastardly plot ? Of course its not.
To think this part of some grand scheme is just plain ridiculous.

Will any of this whole thing actually affect my daily life at all ? No it wont, so I really dont care.
Just another day of haters hating, using the obvious ammunition stupidly fed to them in this case.

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

Hatred is quite a strong word. Just because I didn’t vote for them doesn’t exempt me from commenting on their routine incompetence. A nefarious, dastardly plot sounds like an apt description from where I sit. I think the fact it was such an obviously bad idea - condemned almost universally on this forum except the usual one or two who downplay it - yet Ministers went out on television to stand up for it only underlines the fact they genuinely and bizarrely believed they could have got away with it playing the Brexit card.

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

The only plot here seems to be the one you have clearly lost.

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

No - that was your misinterpretation.

If you are accused of something and you feel that the decision to discipline you was made following a shoddy investigation which relied on incorrect evidence, in any other area of life, you would have the right of appeal.

That is all I am arguing here. I am not judging his behaviour.

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

Both the standards commissioner and the standards committee have to agree that an MPs conduct warrants formal action, it's not jut the standards commissioner by themselves
https://publications.parliament.uk/p...dTextAnchor058

At both stages of that investigation, the MP in question is given the opportunity to respond.

---------- Post added at 08:32 ---------- Previous post was at 08:25 ----------

This sudden need for an extra appeal step may have value, but you can't ditch an existing process before deciding what the new one is.

---------- Post added at 08:42 ---------- Previous post was at 08:32 ----------

And if you are going to add new appeals processes, you should also make sure that any final decision is properly enforced and can't be ignored

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...ed-review-says

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

It is Owen Paterson’s argument that the Investigating Committee got its facts wrong and he was not, in fact, given the ability to correct them. He says he has not been listened to. Given that this point has been made, don’t you think that there should be a pause to consider whether there is a need to establish an appeal right?

This whole thing has been politicised and blown up out of all proportion. The belief (or suggestion) is that this is a ruse to let him off the hook, but actually, it is not. It’s about justice - the same kind of justice we give in all other areas of British life. An appeal would not necessarily reduce the penalty or quash the decision. However, it would at least give him the proper opportunity to let him have his say.

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

Old Boy, your sense of humour never lets you down. :D

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

Chris Bryant, who is the chair of the committee, has said they did indeed give him a chance to correct them

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/a...IS-BRYANT.html
As does the report itself
https://committees.parliament.uk/com...n-paterson-mp/

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

You’d be the first to complain about the unfairness of it all if the government took away the right of appeal from employees who were subject to disciplinary action. How is this any different?

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

Because - and this has been pointed out several times - if it was such an issue why didn’t the Tories deal with this matter a long time ago?

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

The committee believes it listened to him and took everything into account. Paterson says otherwise. Should the committee itself have their decision reviewed?

I have heard many an appeal in my time where the panel coming to a decision was utterly convinced they had got it right only to be confounded by the actual evidence.

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

This system has been in place for decades. Parliament, including Owen Paterson himself, have had plenty of previous opportunity to review and add additional appeals processes if they wanted to do so. They didn't.

If they now want to do so, that is their right, but it shouldn't be retrospective for an individual case.

---------- Post added at 11:06 ---------- Previous post was at 11:02 ----------

And personally I don't think that the investigated should really be setting the rules for the investigators

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-b1951420.html

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

No right of appeal for anyone subject to disciplinary action is being taken away here.

The key issue here is the move to change the rules was to be retrospective and showed the Government to be out of touch.

You've backed the wrong horse Old Boy, your fellow Wokingham forum member is on the money here.

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

So Matt Hancock, Health Secretary and the MP for Newmarket (horse-racing town) gives Dido Harding (Director of The Jockey Club) £37bn to create the (failed) Test & Trace System and Dido Harding contracts (without going to tender) £500 million worth of work with Randox, sponsor of Grand National and the company who paid Owen Paterson £500 per hour for four hours "work" per week, and whose wife was Chair of Aintree racecourse.

All these actions were judged by the Cabinet Office anti-corruption Czar John Penrose, the husband of Dido Harding, who doesn’t think there is a problem.

Pure coincidence, I’m sure…

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

Paranoia, Hugh. :)

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

So I assume you'd be against people making a decision without looking at any of the evidence?

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...-boris-johnson

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

About 2 weeks before the Paterson brokered government contract to Randox was announced, Randox moved their operation into a tax haven.

More coincidence?

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

Johnson will probably say it wasn't a holiday, he was just house sitting for a family friend…

Johnson’s view on Parliamentary Standards*

https://c.tenor.com/ry_sCXk6wH0AAAAC...bbean-code.gif

*having been investigated three times in the last three years (more than any other MP in the same time period), and with a potential fourth investigation in the very near future…

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

You are right - no right of appeal is being taken away - because none exists.

I agree that appeal rights should have been put in place before now, but that is not the point. Paterson argued this in his particular case.

If an employee complained about such an injustice and the employer did nothing about it, the employment tribunal would find against the employer.

The trouble is, this is so party political, no-one can see beyond their own prejudices.

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

Newer Tory MPs furious at No 10 order to back Owen Paterson

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...-owen-paterson

At least we can put to bed the notion that this didn’t come from the top.

---------- Post added at 13:35 ---------- Previous post was at 13:34 ----------

The irony.

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

The only people who made it party political was the Government who tried to make retrospective legislation to let one of their own off.

You surely don't need me to tell how you how dangerous such a precedent that would have set?

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

You are totally correct. This government got into power playing the Brexit card and they think that because of this, they are entitled to do anything they wish. Rule following, honesty, integrity are entirely optional.

Dishonesty comes from the top:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDbAY3VW...jpg&name=small

If you cannot see this then either you are not paying attention or you agree with the direction they are taking this country.

The ones I feel sorry for are the honest, old-school Conservative voters. Imagine holding your nose and voting for this shower. Conflicted is an understatement!

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

How thoroughly depressing.

The next couple of years are going to be interesting now. The Torygraph rarely holds back when it has a chance to put the boot into Boris and this week the Wail has been at it too. In part this can be seen as them feeling safe enough to be roundly critical as Labour still has a mountain to climb before it looks like a credible opposition, let alone an alternative government. But once a pattern has set in, who knows? The rearing of that word “sleaze” ought to be ringing alarm bells all around Tory high command because it is in no small measure responsible for the party’s demise in 1997 despite the economy being in pretty good shape. They looked warm out and corrupt; Blair looked fresh, trustworthy and competent.

I am not a big fan of leftist politics and I would very much like to see the Conservatives get their house in order. I wonder whether many inside the parliamentary party will begin to think that means removing Boris before there’s another election.

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

My argument is not that he be ‘let off’. All I am saying, if anyone is actually listening, is that a right of appeal should be in place.

All this does is review the decision in the light of all the evidence. If the committee got it wrong, this would be an opportunity to put it right.

If the committee was correct in its judgement, the decision would stand.

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

So who should stand above an independent standards committee appointed by Parliament?

Judges?

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

It could be a different set of MPs selected to hear appeals. This is not rocket science, jfman. It’s called fair play.

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

It’s called corruption.

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

I think you're right. Johnson's high-spending, high-tax policies and populist approach is also a lifetime away from many Conservative voters. The reputational damage from all Johnson's U-turns must be causing the local associations to feel somewhat bewildered.

Is Sunak sharpening his knife?

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

What, introducing an appeals process? Don’t talk daft.

---------- Post added at 14:01 ---------- Previous post was at 13:58 ----------

We have to spend money now to invest, not only to level up, but also to help our recovery from Covid.

Things will look a lot clearer by the time of the next election.

Hopefully by then we will also have an appeals process in place for MPs who feel they have been wrongly treated in matters of discipline.

In normal times, Labour wouldn’t have any trouble with that idea.

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

At some point there has to be an authority, if not the independent standards committee who should that be?

You claim others are making it party political then your own ludicrous assertion is to politicise the process by making MPs the arbiter of their own conduct and not an independent commissioner.

I know you enjoy streaming services but that doesn’t mean you have to exist on a time delay from the rest of the conversation. Almost everyone in the thread - Conservative Party members included - knows this is absolutely grubby. Defending the indefensible. It’s not party political.

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

Nope. You are conflating the idea of having an appeals process with letting Paterson off.

An appeals process is simply natural justice. As for who could hear the appeal, I have already suggested that it could be a separate committee of MPs. It could be the commissioner as long as he had not already been involved in the case, but alternatively it could be a committee of the House of Lords. It doesn’t matter really, as long as they are able to come to an independent decision.

As far as Paterson himself is concerned, the correct thing to have done would have been to suspend the decision pending a procedure change which was lacking in the process and that would benefit MPs of all persuasions in the future. This doesn’t mean that Paterson would be let off. It would simply mean that his concerns would be addressed. The penalty may well remain in place, but I guess we will never know now, will we?

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

The correct decision is he be prosecuted instead of being allowed to resign in disgrace and trouser an MP pension at the cost of the public purse.

The House of Lords don’t make me laugh - remind me who paid for Boris’ last holiday?