Keir Starmer has branded the result of today’s Conservative standards vote “corruption”, saying he is “sick of people skirting around calling” the issue otherwise. “Corruption,” the Labour leader tweeted. “There is no other word for it.”
It comes after Tory MPs voted to approve an amendment to rewrite Commons sleaze rules and prevent the immediate suspension of former Tory minister Owen Paterson, who was recently found to have breached a ban on paid lobbying.
“Paterson was receiving money from a private company to ask questions on its behalf … [he] should be gone,” Sir Keir said.
As soon as the result was announced in the chamber, with the final count coming in at 250 to 232, jeers and cries of “shameful” could be heard.
Meanwhile, Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, described the move as a “disgrace”. She also confirmed her party “will not be taking any part in this sham process or any corrupt committee” – referring to a new standards body set up under the changes. SNP and Lib Dem politicians have said they will take the same action.
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live UK politics coverage. We’ll be bringing you rolling updates from Westminster and beyond throughout the day.
Boris Johnson backs bid to overturn Owen Paterson lobbying inquiry
Boris Johnson is to back a bid to stop the suspension of a Conservative MP found to have breached Commons lobbying rules.
North Shropshire Tory MP Owen Paterson could be banned from the Commons for 30 days after he was found to have committed an “egregious” breach of standards rules as he lobbied ministers and officials for two companies paying him more than £100,000 per year.
Tory MPs will be instructed by party whips on Wednesday to back an amendment put forward by former leader of the Commons Dame Andrea Leadsom which would see the creation of a new committee that would examine – among other issues – whether the case against Mr Paterson should be reviewed.
Read the full background to the story here:
PM suffers heavy defeat over pension triple lock
Boris Johnson’s government has suffered a heavy defeat in the House of Lords over his plans to restrict increases in the state pension.
Peers by 280 votes to 178 backed a cross-party motion to keep retirement payouts linked to earnings – a large majority of 102.
Jacob Rees-Mogg comes to Owen Paterson’s defence
Jacob Rees-Mogg has come to the defence of Tory MP Owen Paterson, who was caught “repeatedly” using his position “to promote the companies by whom he was paid”.
Speaking on his regular podcast Mr Rees-Mogg, who is leader of the Commons, raised concerns about the investigation into the former Cabinet minister.
Our policy correspondent Jon Stone has the full story:
Treasury minister does not rule out government support to save Owen Paterson
Treasury minister John Glen has not ruled out the government supporting a move aimed at saving Conservative MP Owen Paterson from suspension for an apparent breach of lobbying rules.
Asked if the government might support Andrea Leadsom’s amendment, he told Sky News: “I’m aware of concerns around the process of the procedure committee and the investigation that led to the recommendation but this will be a matter that my colleagues in Parliament will be looking at today and the amendment will be discussed in due course in Parliament.
“It’s a procedural matter for the House of Commons, that’s what we’re talking about here, over the apparent fairness of the way that investigation was undertaken, that’s the concern that I think colleagues across the House have.
“It’s a matter for the House of Commons to respond to that report and it’s also a matter of concern around the procedure leading up to that report making those conclusions. I think most people would agree that when there’s a dispute over someone’s conduct there’s got to be fair and due process before an outcome and a determination of the consequences is made. I think that’s the area the House of Commons, across all parties, will want to look at today.”
‘We’re not condoning him’, says Tory MP backing bid to reform Commons disciplinary rules
A senior Tory MP backing the bid to reform the Commons disciplinary rules and possibly spare colleague Owen Paterson from suspension admitted the move “looks terrible” but insisted there is “no alternative”.
Bernard Jenkin told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “This looks terrible, we’ve had a bad system for years and years and years. I just see this as an opportunity to fix it.
“We’re not letting Owen Paterson off, we’re not exonerating him, we’re not condoning him, we’re going to put his case in front of a proper judicial-style panel where there can be proper hearing and proper cross-examination of witnesses and natural justice.”
Government’s attempt to save Tory MP ‘most appalling double standard’, says Lisa Nandy
The shadow foreign secretary has described the government’s attempt to save Tory MP Owen Paterson from suspension in the House of Commons as “the most appalling double standard”.
Outlining her response to Andrea Leadsom’s amendment, Lisa Nandy told Sky News: “The problem for Owen Paterson, for Andrea Leadsom and for all these Tories and, including now, it appears, the prime minister, who was saying that they don’t want the system to apply, is that it is one rule for everybody else and another rule for them. That’s just simply unacceptable.”
She added: “Owen Patterson has had three chances to make his case. Nobody is disputing the fact that he broke the rules and there has to be sanctions for that.
“It matters. It matters to trust in politics, it matters to trust in government, and what the government is doing at the moment is undermining that.”
Boris Johnson accused of sleaze as No 10 ‘backs bid to save Tory MP from suspension’
Boris Johnson is backing a bid to save a leading Conservative MP from an immediate suspension as part of an attempted overhaul in MPs’ standards rules, reports say.
Government whips are said to be telling Tory MPs to today vote against imposing a 30-day suspension on Owen Paterson by backing an amendment motion arguing the probe into his behaviour was flawed.
My colleague Adam Forrest has more details:
Overturning Paterson probe ‘would set terrible precedent’
Daniel Bruce, chief executive at Transparency International UK, has warned Conservative MPs not to “overrule the outcome of an independent investigation into the conduct of one of their colleagues”.
He added: “This would set a terrible precedent and will only reinforce the perception that politicians play by a different set of rules.
“MPs have long drawn the line at elected representatives engaging in paid lobbying, but this requires them to have the stomach to punish rule-breakers – even when they happen to be one of their friends.”
MPs to vote on bill banning Boris Johnson from ordering schools to shut down again
MPs are set to debate whether to ban Boris Johnson’s government from shutting down schools again without parliamentary approval.
Robert Halfon, chairman of the Commons education select committee, said the closures enforced during the Covid pandemic have “wielded a hammer blow for students’ education and wellbeing”.
My colleague Adam Forrest has more details below:
