Owen Paterson - 'there's nothing to see here...'

[jon1959]

Kier Starmer (Labour):

This has been an unbelievable 24 hours even by this government’s chaotic standards. Only yesterday Boris Johnson was forcing his MPs to rip up the rules on standards in public life is a truly damning indictment of this prime minister and the corrupt government he leads.

Boris Johnson must now apologise to the entire country for this grubby attempt to cover up for the misdemeanour of his friend. This isn’t the first time he’s done this but it must be the last. And Boris Johnson must explain how he intends to fix the immense harm he has done to confidence in the probity of him and his MPs.

Pete Wishart (SNP):

Boris Johnson must now come to parliament to answer for his grubby role in the Tory corruption scandal. The prime minister must perform a full U-turn, apologise to the standards commissioner, and commit to an independent inquiry into the growing problem of Tory sleaze, cronyism and corruption at the heart of the UK government.

This Tory government is the sleaziest in decades. It has been beset by scandal after scandal - with the prime minister and his Tory colleagues guilty of breaking the ministerial code, acting unlawfully, handing peerages to donors, contracts to cronies and special access to their pals. The Owen Paterson affair is just the tip of the iceberg. It absolutely stinks.

Personally I prefer the SNP version. Both made good use of 'grubby', but the SNP sign off with 'stinks' is a winner!

[life on mars]

What a mess , and an embarrassing government blunder made more noise than it should off ,another by election looms .

its also good to see Labour calling for a recall for Claudia Webbe after today's conviction verdict lucky not to go down her character wittiness's must have helped , an MP suggesting to throw acid in someone face is a beyond my thought process

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...shire-59162007

Lots of bad apples about , perhaps the decent thing to do would be too resign as well .

[the other bob wilson]

What a mess , and an embarrassing government blunder made more noise than it should off ,another by election looms .

its also good to see Labour calling for a recall for Claudia Webbe after today's conviction verdict lucky not to go down her character wittiness's must have helped , an MP suggesting to throw acid in someone face is a beyond my thought process

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...shire-59162007

Lots of bad apples about , perhaps the decent thing to do would be too resign as well .

Yet more whataboutery from you - why do you do it so often when there is a bad news story concerning the party of the right on either side of the Atlantic, but never when it is Labour or the Democrats that are under fire?

The clear difference between the Webbe and Paterson cases is that the former has been tried and convicted without a Government whipping it's MPS to vote for a change in the legal process afterwards which would overturn the verdict arrived at on the latter. Jon pointed out earlier that nineteen Tory MPs who had, effectively voted for the abolition of the Parliamentary Commission for Standards had complaints upheld against them in the past by said commission - the Government majority was eighteen.

Also, while sympathy clearly has to go out to Mr Paterson following his wife's suicide, it needs to be pointed out that she took her life in 2020 and he started undertaking paid lobbying work four years earlier.

[the other bob wilson]

One of her best;-

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...s-commissioner

[Jordi Culé]

I wonder how long it'll be before Paterson is rewarded with a peerage?

[Jordi Culé]

Yet more whataboutery from you - why do you do it so often when there is a bad news story concerning the party of the right on either side of the Atlantic, but never when it is Labour or the Democrats that are under fire?

The clear difference between the Webbe and Paterson cases is that the former has been tried and convicted without a Government whipping it's MPS to vote for a change in the legal process afterwards which would overturn the verdict arrived at on the latter. Jon pointed out earlier that nineteen Tory MPs who had, effectively voted for the abolition of the Parliamentary Commission for Standards had complaints upheld against them in the past by said commission - the Government majority was eighteen.

Also, while sympathy clearly has to go out to Mr Paterson following his wife's suicide, it needs to be pointed out that she took her life in 2020 and he started undertaking paid lobbying work four years earlier.

The suicide of his wife was a strange sideshow and reports have said previously Paterson has suggested the investigation into his corrupt behaviour may have contributed to her poor mental health.

I don’t suppose he’s asked himself what may be the cause of the investigation as he’s stated he feels he’s entirely innocent?

His resignation statement also remarks that he doesn’t want his wife’s death used by political opponents as a “political football,” I may have this wrong but wasn’t the first person to use his wife’s suicide as some sort of mitigating circumstance Boris Johnson?

Boris then still throws him under the bus.

It’s sad but laughable.

[the other bob wilson]

The suicide of his wife was a strange sideshow and reports have said previously Paterson has suggested the investigation into his corrupt behaviour may have contributed to her poor mental health.

I don’t suppose he’s asked himself what may be the cause of the investigation as he’s stated he feels he’s entirely innocent?

His resignation statement also remarks that he doesn’t want his wife’s death used by political opponents as a “political football,” I may have this wrong but wasn’t the first person to use his wife’s suicide as some sort of mitigating circumstance Boris Johnson?

Boris then still throws him under the bus.

It’s sad but laughable.

This tends to confirm that Johnson has more to fear from his own party than the feeble official opposition.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59188972

[Jordi Culé]

This tends to confirm that Johnson has more to fear from his own party than the feeble official opposition.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59188972

Can of worms...

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...aterson-affair

[life on mars]

Lets have a system where there is no second salary for MP's across the political divide and we pay them more than the 81k they get now , ban all donations including business and Unions as its only for lobbying and influence anyways .

Dear Comrades get tax payers to fund the revolution .

[the other bob wilson]

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...olitical-class

[the other bob wilson]

And I’ve been called disrespectful when I say they’re the what’s in it for me party;-

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...arliamentarian

https://www.indy100.com/politics/iai...tiser-b1954936

[the other bob wilson]

Is Tory sleaze becoming something more serious than a mid term blip? I’d be more hopeful if I had more faith in opposition parties pressing home the opportunity they’re being given;-

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...IX-points.html

[jon1959]

Is Tory sleaze becoming something more serious than a mid term blip? I’d be more hopeful if I had more faith in opposition parties pressing home the opportunity they’re being given;-

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...IX-points.html

My guess is that Johnson will ride it out.

One poll, or even a series of polls, that show public anger is just a snapshot. Short memories and other distractions are likely to bury this 'bad week' or 'bad month'.

If the Tories decide Johnson is a liability they will dump him and bring in a more competent replacement - or even just a replacement!

Labour shows little sign of taking advantage. They have a dull and apolitical leader (who has broken every one of his leadership campaign promises), no clear alternative vision or policies for the country, and are more concerned with destroying the socialist wing of the party than taking on the Tories. The Labour membership is also melting away (which is fatal for electioneering). It has officially dropped from around 570,000 to 400,000 - but the email storm that followed the Labour data leak 2 weeks ago showed that the party still counts as members thousands of people who left up to 2 years ago. It's becoming an empty shell. The SNP are more effective, but have little cut through to English politics.

[the other bob wilson]

My guess is that Johnson will ride it out.

One poll, or even a series of polls, that show public anger is just a snapshot. Short memories and other distractions are likely to bury this 'bad week' or 'bad month'.

If the Tories decide Johnson is a liability they will dump him and bring in a more competent replacement - or even just a replacement!

Labour shows little sign of taking advantage. They have a dull and apolitical leader (who has broken every one of his leadership campaign promises), no clear alternative vision or policies for the country, and are more concerned with destroying the socialist wing of the party than taking on the Tories. The Labour membership is also melting away (which is fatal for electioneering). It has officially dropped from around 570,000 to 400,000 - but the email storm that followed the Labour data leak 2 weeks ago showed that the party still counts as members thousands of people who left up to 2 years ago. It's becoming an empty shell. The SNP are more effective, but have little cut through to English politics.

I tend to agree with you, but I've read a lot of Tories saying things like "you're doing well until you're not" in recent weeks. What I think they mean by that is that, once the electorate change, it's pretty final and there's no coming back - I'd also say that, as much as any British political leader I can remember, there is an element of Emperor's new clothes about Johnson whereby people suddenly see what has been clear to many others for ages.

I mentioned other parties, but, in essence, I meant Labour. They, and especially Starmer, have to recognise the current situation for what it is - one of what will be very few opportunities to turn the next election into something which may not be another disaster, but I don't think he has the political courage to do it and I don't think the party has the political will to do it - they much prefer pointless right v left battles.

[jon1959]

True. These chances don't come along too often.

But the Tories have presented an open goal and Starmer has blasted the ball over the bar into Row Z from 3 yards out.

Johnson has more to worry about from the Men In Grey Suits than the opposition.

Although it sounds as if he may be bored by playing at Prime Minister and fancies a career change to something more lucrative? He may not mind stepping down as long as it doesn't look like he was dumped. Maybe a resignation to spend more time with his families?

[the other bob wilson]

True. These chances don't come along too often.

But the Tories have presented an open goal and Starmer has blasted the ball over the bar into Row Z from 3 yards out.

Johnson has more to worry about from the Men In Grey Suits than the opposition.

Although it sounds as if he may be bored by playing at Prime Minister and fancies a career change to something more lucrative? He may not mind stepping down as long as it doesn't look like he was dumped. Maybe a resignation to spend more time with his families?

[Jordi Culé]

True. These chances don't come along too often.

But the Tories have presented an open goal and Starmer has blasted the ball over the bar into Row Z from 3 yards out.

Johnson has more to worry about from the Men In Grey Suits than the opposition.

Although it sounds as if he may be bored by playing at Prime Minister and fancies a career change to something more lucrative? He may not mind stepping down as long as it doesn't look like he was dumped. Maybe a resignation to spend more time with his families?

Cruel notion there Jon.

Haven’t his families suffered enough?

[the other bob wilson]

A rogue Tory MP ensures the Paterson affair is not going to be quietly forgotten in the way Johnson would like it to be;-

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...-breach-report