Owen Paterson news – live: PM tried to rip up sleaze rules ‘to avoid flat inquiry’, as Tory poll lead slumps

On the other side of the table, the EU seem far less optimistic. The European Commission accused the UK government of failing to “engage” in talks over post-Brexit rules for Northern Ireland, and warned of “serious consequences” if Boris Johnson suspends the arrangements by triggering Article 16.

While Lord Frost said progress had been “limited”, EU Commission VP Maros Sefcovic said the UK had failed to engage with significant proposals put forward by the bloc to make life easier for businesses moving goods between Northern Ireland and the British mainland.

In an indication that patience is running short in Brussels, he said that further talks scheduled for next week in London would be an “important” moment in the process, reports our political editor Andrew Woodcock.

Over to Brussels now, where Lord Frost, following talks with the EU Commission VP, says progress on the Northern Ireland Protocol has been “limited”.

Downing Street said Lord Frost had reported the EU’s proposals “did not currently deal effectively with the fundamental difficulties in the way the Protocol was operating”, but gaps between they UK and EU “could still be bridged through further intensive discussions”.

Lord Frost and Maros Sefcovic will meet again in London next week and officials will continue discussions during the week.

Boris Johnson has been accused of launching his abortive bid to rewrite the rules on parliamentary standards to fend off a potential sleaze inquiry into the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat.

Labour MP Margaret Hodge told our political editor Andrew Woodcock that the “only logical explanation” for the PM’s politically disastrous decision to try to save Owen Paterson from sanction for paid lobbying was that he was concerned about possible investigations by the standards commissioner into his own behaviour and that of other leading Tories.

Downing Street said it was “entirely a matter for the commissioner” whether she opens an investigation into the initial funding of the prime minister’s flat refurbishments.

Asked whether No 10 would condemn any pressure MPs put on Kathryn Stone, the parliamentary standards commissioner, over the potential probe, a spokesman for the Boris Johnson said officials “obviously … wouldn’t want to see that happening”.

He continued: “Our focus, as we’ve been discussing, is on the appeals process and making sure we have a process in place that is similar to other walks of life.”

It comes following anger over the government’s decision to conflate the possible changes to standards rules with the singular case of now-resigned Tory MP Owen Paterson.

There was also a suggestion, by his former chief aide Dominic Cummings, that the PM launched a “pre-emptive strike” on Ms Stone before she was able to scrutinise so-called Wallpapergate.

Owen Paterson says he will be “stepping aside” from his consultancy work following his resignation from the Commons.

The former MP tweeted: “Thank you to the many people who have sent their kind wishes to me and my family this week.

“At this difficult time, I will be stepping aside from my current consultancy work to focus on my family and suicide prevention.”

Boris Johnson’s government is mired in sleaze claims after No 10 tried to save Conservative Party MP Owen Paterson from suspension while seeking to rip up the Commons disciplinary process.

But, what was the Tory MP found to have done wrong? Why did the government U-turn? And how do the parties now agree on a disciplinary procedure following the saga described by Labour as a “sleazy mess”?

Adam Forrest takes a closer look.

Responding to the news Labour is seeking an investigation into Boris Johnson’s Marbella holiday, No 10 said the PM had declared the trip in the correct way.

“Earlier this year, the prime minister received hospitality from a longstanding friend who provided use of their holiday home,” a spokesman for Mr Johnson told reporters.

“The prime minister’s met the transparency requirements in relation to this, he declared this arrangement in his ministerial capacity, given this was hospitality provided by another minister.”

He added the PM’s ministerial standards adviser Lord Geidt had scrutinised the declaration as part of the process.

The spokesman did, however, decline to answer when asked how much the holiday was worth.

Following my earlier post (10.51am), Brexit minister Lord Frost has has told reporters in Brussels a “significant gap” remains as he headed into talks with Maros Sefcovic amid efforts to resolve disputes over the Northern Ireland Protocol and fishing rights.

Lord Frost’s meeting with the European Commission vice-president comes as the UK and the EU are still at loggerheads over the future of the post-Brexit border in the Irish Sea.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the meeting, Lord Frost said: “The gap between us is still quite significant but let’s see where we can get to.”

To avoid a hard border with Ireland, the protocol effectively keeps Northern Ireland inside the EU’s single market for goods, resulting in some checks for products crossing the Irish Sea from Great Britain, which left the single market.

Lord Frost said he would not trigger Article 16 “today” – which would allow parts of the deal to be suspended – but added it is “very much on the table and has been since July”.