Geoffrey Cox news – live: Tory MP denies breaking rules as UK walks back on Brexit threat to EU

The government continues to defend the right of MPs to hold second jobs, saying they gain “experience” from such positions.

Robert Courts, the minister for aviation, said he decided not to continue his barrister work when he was elected as an MP in 2016.

However, he said he did not object to others holding second roles. “I think the key thing that we have to look at here is that there is an experience that is brought to MPs through having jobs, whatever those jobs might be,” he said.

“We also have MPs who have all sorts of experience in other areas, for example doctors and nurses. There are people who are serving MPs who practise in the front line at the NHS, and I think the House of Commons is richer for that,” he added.

Geoffrey Cox’s ability to perform his job as an MP has been called into question by one of his constituents.

The 45-year-old, who lives near Tavistock, said Mr Cox had taken 80 days to respond to an email query.

“Waiting nearly three months for a response to a query is unacceptable,” the unnamed constituent told the PA news agency.

“I do not believe that Geoffrey Cox is able to concentrate fully on his role as an MP whilst he is carrying out other roles…he is not committed to his constituency.”

Earlier this week, it emerged that the former attorney general had voted by proxy from the Caribbean while performing a second job. It was then reported that he breached Commons rules by using his parliamentary office to work for the government of the British Virgin Islands.

Priti Patel will have a “less than 30 per cent chance” of winning a legal challenge over plans to push-back migrant boats in the Channel, it has been revealed.

In papers obtained by The Guardian, the home secretary was also advised that any challenge would be “reputationally damaging”.

The French government have already expressed their displeasure at the proposed push-back tactics, which it said “would risk having a negative impact on our cooperation.”

Sleaze is firmly back on the agenda in Westminster, writes Ashley Cowburn.

Labour and the Liberal Democrats have called out the government for giving peerages to 15 of the last 16 Conservative party treasurers. They have also added pressure on Boris Johnson after he attempted to spare one of his MPs, Owen Paterson, from being suspended for lobbying.

The opposition parties both sought to capitalise on this Commons vote last week, targeting Conservative MPs in marginal constituencies who voted with the government. “Just voted to save one of his mates who broke the rules,” one Labour advert reads. “One rule for them, another for everyone else.”

Boris Johnson has failed to get his “house in order” over the sleaze crisis gripping the government, the deputy leader of the Labour party has said.

Angela Rayner told broadcasters that she had written to the independent commissioner on Wednesday about Tory MPs breaking parliamentary rules to “make their own personal gain”.

“This is not acceptable. We’re here to represent our constituents, not represent ourselves, and it stinks of sleaze and corruption,” she said.

The Ashton-Under-Lyme MP added: “Boris Johnson can’t get his house in order. This is very clear to me and very frustrating.

“I’ve written to the commissioner about Boris Johnson and you know what they say – a fish rots from the head up, so you can see this is what is happening at the moment with the Conservatives.

“They really are not representing the British people, they are representing themselves and making a huge amount of money on the back of it.”

Politico’s Alex Wickham outlines the numerous sleaze scandals Boris Johnson’s government faces – and will continue having to deal with “well into” next year.

Following my earlier post (12.40pm), here’s our deputy political editor Rob Merrickwith more detail on Lord Frost’s Brexit update today.

The UK appears to have pulled back from an early suspension of the Brexit deal for Northern Ireland – and a trade war with the EU – arguing further talks can still avert the crisis.

Boris Johnson has been moving closer to triggering Article 16 of the Protocol, accusing the EU of failing to abide by the agreement he negotiated.

In a statement to peers today, the Brexit minister David Frost repeated his threat – first made in July – to trigger Article 16 if necessary. But he said, of his weekly talks with the European Commission: “This process of negotiations has not reached his end.”

He added: “Article 16 is not inevitable. I want to be clear about that.”

An update from Lord Frost, the Brexit minister, now. Brussels should “stay calm and keep things in proportion”, the Tory frontbencher told peers today amid a continuing dispute between London and the EU over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Lord Frost said there was “a real opportunity to turn away from confrontation, to move beyond our current difficulties and put in place a new, and better, equilibrium”.

Behind the scenes, though, the EU is reportedly preparing to take retaliatory action if the UK suspends the post-Brexit arrangements covering Irish Sea trade by triggering Article 16.

It comes after the British minister travelled to Brussels last week to meet EU Commission VP Maroš Šefčovič, with the discussions being described by No 10 as achieving “limited progress”.

However, Lord Frost told the House of Lords that talks had “not reached” their end.

He said: “There is more to do and I will certainly not give up on this process unless and until it is abundantly clear that nothing more can be done. We are certainly not there yet. If, however, we do in due course reach that point, the Article 16 safeguards will be our only option.”

The Tory MP whose work for a tax haven sparked a sleaze scandal argued in parliament against measures to close money laundering loopholes, it can be revealed.

Geoffrey Cox earned nearly £1m from his second job representing the British Virgin Islands (BVI) in a corruption and money laundering inquiry set up by his own Conservative colleagues in the UK government, writes our policy correspondent Jon Stone.

But in a 2018 parliamentary debate on the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill Sir Geoffrey said it was “beneath the dignity of this parliament” to try and close loopholes being exploited by territories like the BVI.

As Sir Geoffrey Cox denies any wrongdoing, here’s a statement published to his website amid accusations that he breached Commons rules by using his parliamentary office for work not related to his constituency.

“Sir Geoffrey Cox has practised as a Queen’s Counsel in the courts since well before his election in 2005.

“He is a leading barrister in England and makes no secret of his professional activities. He was asked to advise the attorney general and the elected government of BVI, a British Overseas Territory, in a public inquiry into whether corruption, abuse of office or other serious dishonesty may have taken place in recent years in the Virgin Islands and to carry out a review of its systems of government in preparation for that Inquiry.

“Prior to accepting the role, he sought and obtained the approval of the Office of the Attorney General of England and Wales that there would be no conflict of interest with his former role as attorney general.

“This is not to ‘defend’ a tax haven or, as has been inaccurately reported, to defend any wrongdoing but to assist the public inquiry in getting to the truth. No evidence of tax evasion or personal corruption has been adduced before the Inquiry and if it had been, that person would have been required to seek their own representation.

“Sir Geoffrey regularly works 70-hour weeks and always ensures that his casework on behalf of his constituents is given primary importance and fully carried out. Throughout this period, he continued to have online meetings with organisations, businesses and individuals within the constituency and it made no difference where he was for that purpose since it was not practicable or desirable at that time to meet face to face. As to the use of the proxy, prior to his visit to the BVI, he consulted the chief whip specifically on this issue and was advised that it was appropriate.

“Sir Geoffrey’s view is that it is up to the electors of Torridge and West Devon whether or not they vote for someone who is a senior and distinguished professional in his field and who still practices that profession. That has been the consistent view of the local Conservative Association and although at every election his political opponents have sought to make a prominent issue of his professional practice, it has so far been the consistent view of the voters of Torridge and West Devon. Sir Geoffrey is very content to abide by their decision.

“As for the allegation that he breached the parliamentary code of conduct on one occasion, on 14 September 2021, by being in his office while participating in an online hearing in the public inquiry and voting in the House of Commons, he understands that the matter has been referred to the parliamentary commissioner and he will fully cooperate with her investigation. He does not believe that he breached the rules but will of course accept the judgment of the parliamentary commissioner or of the committee on the matter.”