Convention dictates suspension of an MP is a free vote, the govt putting a 3 line whip on it broke convention considering pairing had been agreed and even Paterson himself was allowed to vote, which makes it even more ludicrous. Many Tory MPs have said they would have abstained had it not been for the 3 line whip. An untainted free vote purely on the suspension is the right course of action. The process and Standards Committee reform is a separate matter.
You'd like to think so, most of them are 1st time MPs so they're terrified of the Whips. Angela Richardson defied the whip and abstained and lost her job as Gove's PPS...but was reinstated after the 'U turn' this morning.
And if anyone knows what it is like to have convention broken and lies told to protect the PM, it's Cummings. I was a bit sickened that more Tories didn't speak out and vote against the so clearly corrupt bill yesterday (although massive respect to those who voted against the 3 line whip), but many have done perhaps the smarter thing, which is not fallen out with the PM, protected the governments reputation slightly, and then pushed for a u-turn behind the scenes.
A nice idea, but I would imagine the Mail’s thunderous headline had more to do with it. Tory MPs were doubling down on it yesterday.
What's the bet the government tries to wash over the scandal by doing something stupid and unfair, like bringing back the triple lock, and filling front pages with headlines about how "compassionate" the government is to the elderly?
It is unusual or at least against the Government approach since Thatcher’s famous distaste for U-turns. In a way, if you are going to mess up, it’s a good strategy to u-turn as quickly as possible. It minimises the length of time the story dominates the news cycle and allows them to oily claim ‘look at the opposition getting all triggered about it, of course we listen’ when they clearly don’t when the ball is in play. But this is also mission partly accomplished. The Standards process will be reformed and they have the power to shape it in their favour. I don’t really understand why they went so far to protect Paterson. I imagine it was simply another one of those things where Johnson told people in the room what they wanted to hear.
Apparently Paterson himself wasn't told of the U turn. A journalist phoned him to ask him his thoughts about it whilst he was out shopping. They sent Kwasi Karteng out to do the media rounds this morning, so they've made him look a fool as well.
I think it was to pre-empt the sh*t show which is bound to come out with further PPE contracts and Johnson this morning admitting the Spanish holiday at Goldsmith's villa was paid for by the Goldsmith family. A new Tory majority committee would absolve any Tory MP in those matters.
Paterson has resigned as an MP. Incoming by-election. https://news.sky.com/story/owen-paterson-quits-as-mp-after-row-over-suspension-12459825
Apparently he wasn't told about the U turn...he thought he'd got away with it. Once Johnson threw him under the bus, his position was untenable.
Tbf I made the mistake of thinking that Paterson was a decent human being. He wouldn't have gone had he not been caught. It will be interesting to see if any journalist does a deep dive into those that voted in favour of postponing the vote.
Grauiand today said that 56 Tory MP's who voted had been under the spotlight of the Common's watchdog and don't forget de Pfeffel's still in their cross-hairs over wallpapergate. The covid PPE stuff is still to come.
Very safe Tory area, 23k majority over Labour last time. An independent might fancy a crack though. Rory Stewart in a white suit perhaps.
Yeah probably a bit too much for a swing. Interesting to see if Amersham/Chesham is the exception or the rule.
I think there's potential for the Tories to lose the seat as it's a by-election and they're mostly used as a protest vote. The key would be keeping it away from the Tories in a GE. A high profile Indie or a LibDem candidate could have a chance...albeit a very slim one.
The mention of Randox in connection with the OP case has made me wonder how the forthcoming inquiry to CoVid-19 is going to operate. I am sure that the Government will be determined to delay and obstruct the investigation of contracts at every turn. It will also be very important to ensure that any actions which could frustrate poential criminal prosecutions are avoided. Hopefully every investigative journalist worth their salt is already hard at work......
Seems that might well be something the opposition parties will facilitate: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59167967
You can’t but feel that the whole episode will have wreaked further emotional damage on Paterson. Rather than encourage him to take on the World, a friendly colleague could have acknowledged that his wife died a year ago and that his emotional state would be tested. They could have supported him to graciously accept his fate and save at least some face. Instead they’ve marched him up to the top of the hill on a wild goose chase and then lobbed him off it. He can’t be in a good place. The other bit of mischief to emerge was that certain Tories claim to have been threatened by the Chief Whip that ‘levelling up’ funding would be withdrawn if they did not support Loathsome’s amendment. If true it’s the height of cynicism. Either you believe an area desperately needs such support, its people need that support or they don’t. It appears to confirm the heavily politicised way this is being administered. Few funds for Labour constituencies and none if you step out of line. https://www.ft.com/content/51c93ba3-4a59-4e88-92ed-3e152a896493
Will he be the next one thrown under the bus? https://www.theguardian.com/politic...into-kwartengs-comments-on-standards-watchdog
Interestingly she's the only one of this motley crew who's safe from the fallout of this monumental omnishambles (even though her fingerprints are all over it). The 'family firm' (funny money in far and distant lands) are major Tory donors.
It's always the usual expendable suspects of Kwarteng, Zahawi or Sharma who get wheeled out as sacrificial lambs. Grant Shapps and Robert Jenkins have gone from the Cabinet so thankfully we don't see them anymore.
There's one person who is just as culpable but has escaped any criticism...the Speaker for selecting the amendment for debate and division. I can't ever imagine Bercow would have allowed such an attack on the Independent Standards Committee. Many people correctly saying today, if Paterson and the government had just sucked it up and taken the 30 day suspension, it would have been forgotten. They're obviously looking to put pressure on Stone to resign and disband the Standards Committee because they're going to be looking at Wallpapergate and other PM indiscretions. Instead, they've now been labelled as corrupt, sleazy and been deeply damaged, the Chief Whip's reputation destroyed, Tory backbenchers thrown under the bus and Paterson's political career is over (noting UEA's valid point that he'll receive a peerage at some point). That's what I call a bad day.
