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| UK politics live: Tory vote to protect Owen Paterson ‘an absolute disgrace’, says Labour | UK politics live: Tory vote to protect Owen Paterson ‘an absolute disgrace’, says Labour |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Latest updates: Labour fury after Leadsom amendment to stop Owen Paterson facing 30-day suspension for breaking lobbying rules passes by slim majority | Latest updates: Labour fury after Leadsom amendment to stop Owen Paterson facing 30-day suspension for breaking lobbying rules passes by slim majority |
| MPs have voted to shelve a recommendation from the standards committee for the former Tory minister Owen Paterson to be suspended from the Commons for 30 days for breaking the rules banning paid lobbying. This is the first time since the second world war that the Commons has rejected a recommendation from its own disciplinary committee to suspend an MP for misconduct, and critics claim the vote could dismantle the standards regime that has been in place for MPs since the cash for questions scandal in the 1990s. A committee is now being set up to consider a new system, and to decide whether the Paterson case needs to be reviewed, but the opposition parties say they will boycott it - which means it may never get off the ground. (The amendment pased today says it has to include opposition MPs.) Sir Keir Stamer says that this amounts to corruption and that Boris Johnson - who took the unusual step of ordering Tory MPs to vote down the standards committee report - is the source of the “rot”. (See 5.40pm.) | |
| Covid vaccination is to be made compulsory for the NHS’s 1.45 million staff in England, despite criticism that forcing frontline personnel to get jabbed is heavy-handed and will lead some to quit. | |
| Too many people believe the Covid-19 pandemic is over, England’s deputy chief medical officer has said, adding that he is worried that increasing numbers of deaths show “the infection is now starting to penetrate into older age groups”. | |
| From the Sun’s Kate Ferguson | |
| In an article for the Guardian, Sir Keir Starmer says that what happened today amounted to corruption, and that Boris Johnson is responsible. | |
| He also claims that the Conservatives will pay an electoral price for conduct like this. | |
| Starmer’s article is here. | |
| Owen Paterson has issued a statement saying he now has the opportunity to clear his name. Here it is in full. | |
| According to Henry Dyer from Insider, 22 of the Conservative MPs who voted for an overhaul of the parliamentary disciplinary process have been investigated by the parliamentary commissioner for standards, and 19 of them have had complaints against them upheld. | According to Henry Dyer from Insider, 22 of the Conservative MPs who voted for an overhaul of the parliamentary disciplinary process have been investigated by the parliamentary commissioner for standards, and 19 of them have had complaints against them upheld. |
| Robert Largan, Conservative MP for High Peak, says if he had been in the Commons today, he would have defied the whip and voted against the Andrea Leadsom amendment. | Robert Largan, Conservative MP for High Peak, says if he had been in the Commons today, he would have defied the whip and voted against the Andrea Leadsom amendment. |
| Keir Starmer says Labour will boycott the commission set up to overhaul the parliamentary sleaze system, my colleague Heather Stewart reports. Starmer said: | Keir Starmer says Labour will boycott the commission set up to overhaul the parliamentary sleaze system, my colleague Heather Stewart reports. Starmer said: |
| Heather’s full story is here. | Heather’s full story is here. |
| Kathryn Stone is not going to resign from her post as parliamentary commissioner for standards, despite the Commons voting to say there are “potential defects in the standards system” and not accepting her findings on Owen Paterson. It was not quite a vote of no confidence in her, but it was close. | Kathryn Stone is not going to resign from her post as parliamentary commissioner for standards, despite the Commons voting to say there are “potential defects in the standards system” and not accepting her findings on Owen Paterson. It was not quite a vote of no confidence in her, but it was close. |
| This is from Sky’s Jon Craig. | This is from Sky’s Jon Craig. |
| The FDA, the union representing senior civil servants, has described the vote this afternoon as a retrograde step. Dave Penman, its general secretary, said: | The FDA, the union representing senior civil servants, has described the vote this afternoon as a retrograde step. Dave Penman, its general secretary, said: |
| The full list of MPs who did not vote on the Andrea Leadsom amendment is here. It includes Theresa May, the former Tory PM. | The full list of MPs who did not vote on the Andrea Leadsom amendment is here. It includes Theresa May, the former Tory PM. |
| The division list for the first vote is now on the Commons website. | The division list for the first vote is now on the Commons website. |
| It shows that 13 Tory MPs voted with the opposition against the Andrea Leadsom amendment to shelve Owen Paterson’s suspension. They were: Aaron Bell, Jackie Doyle-Price, Richard Fuller, Kate Griffiths, Mark Harper, Simon Hoare, Kevin Hollinrake, Nigel Mills, Jill Mortimer, Holly Mumby-Croft, Matthew Offord, John Stevenson, and William Wragg. | It shows that 13 Tory MPs voted with the opposition against the Andrea Leadsom amendment to shelve Owen Paterson’s suspension. They were: Aaron Bell, Jackie Doyle-Price, Richard Fuller, Kate Griffiths, Mark Harper, Simon Hoare, Kevin Hollinrake, Nigel Mills, Jill Mortimer, Holly Mumby-Croft, Matthew Offord, John Stevenson, and William Wragg. |
| The list also shows that 98 Conservative MPs did not vote. | The list also shows that 98 Conservative MPs did not vote. |
| Gavin Barwell, Theresa May’s former chief of staff, says he expects Labour to boycott the proposed new committee that will recommend changes to the disciplinary system for MP and consider whether the Owen Paterson case should be reviewed. We have not heard yet from Labour what it will do, but the SNP has already said it will not take up its seat on the committee. (See 3.02pm.) | Gavin Barwell, Theresa May’s former chief of staff, says he expects Labour to boycott the proposed new committee that will recommend changes to the disciplinary system for MP and consider whether the Owen Paterson case should be reviewed. We have not heard yet from Labour what it will do, but the SNP has already said it will not take up its seat on the committee. (See 3.02pm.) |
| From Politico’s Alex Wickham | From Politico’s Alex Wickham |
| On a point of order after the result of the second division was called, Chris Bryant, the chair of the standards committee, said people wanted to know if his committee would carry on. It will, he says, and he will remain its chair. | On a point of order after the result of the second division was called, Chris Bryant, the chair of the standards committee, said people wanted to know if his committee would carry on. It will, he says, and he will remain its chair. |
| John McDonnell, the former shadow chancellor, also made a point of order. He said no MP who was “truly honourable” would serve on the new committee being set up. | John McDonnell, the former shadow chancellor, also made a point of order. He said no MP who was “truly honourable” would serve on the new committee being set up. |
| MPs passed the main motion as amended by 248 votes to 221 - a majority of 27. | MPs passed the main motion as amended by 248 votes to 221 - a majority of 27. |
| Angela Rayner, the Labour deputy leader, has described the vote as “an absolute disgrace”. | Angela Rayner, the Labour deputy leader, has described the vote as “an absolute disgrace”. |
| Gavin Barwell, a Tory peer and former MP, who was chief of staff to Theresa May when she was prime minister, says this is a “terrible” outcome for parliament. | Gavin Barwell, a Tory peer and former MP, who was chief of staff to Theresa May when she was prime minister, says this is a “terrible” outcome for parliament. |
| There are currently 361 Conservative MPs. The result of the vote suggests that more than 100 failed to vote for the Andrea Leadsom amendment – despite being whipped to do so. Some of those will be authorised absences, but most of those are probably deliberate abstentions. | There are currently 361 Conservative MPs. The result of the vote suggests that more than 100 failed to vote for the Andrea Leadsom amendment – despite being whipped to do so. Some of those will be authorised absences, but most of those are probably deliberate abstentions. |
| Abstaining on a three-line whip is a form of rebellion – although it is not as serious as actually voting for the other side. | Abstaining on a three-line whip is a form of rebellion – although it is not as serious as actually voting for the other side. |