Owen Paterson: ‘Farce’ as government fails to complete lobbying row U-turn in Commons
The sleaze row over MPs’ second jobs is set to drag on at Westminster after the government failed to bring a parliamentary conclusion to its U-turn over the Owen Paterson lobbying scandal.
Opposition MPs accused ministers of overseeing a “total farce” as government efforts to scrap its controversial attempt to overhaul parliament’s standards rules were blocked late on Monday night.
Nearly two weeks ago, Conservative MPs – encouraged by Prime Minister Boris Johnson – voted to save Tory ex-minister Mr Paterson from a 30-day suspension from the House of Commons, as well as create a new Conservative-dominated committee to rethink parliament’s disciplinary processes.
The government failed to rescind an earlier motion that prompted the row over ex-minister Owen Paterson
Amid a furious backlash at the move, Mr Johnson and the government performed a climbdown and promised a new vote on Mr Paterson being found to have breached lobbying rules as part of his £110,000 per year work for two private companies.
In a Commons motion on Monday, the government hoped to see MPs rescind the earlier motion passed by Conservatives on 3 November, which had approved the overhaul of parliament’s standards rules, as well as to accept the findings of parliament’s sleaze watchdog against Mr Paterson and note he had since resigned as an MP amid the controversy.
It had been expected the motion would be passed “on the nod” and without the need for a vote.
However, veteran Tory backbencher Sir Christopher Chope was seen to shout “object” in the Commons chamber when the motion was moved late on Monday night, meaning it could not be approved.
Shouts of “wow” and “surprise, surprise” were heard as Commons deputy speaker Nigel Evans accepted the objection.
Mr Evans said it would now be “up to the government to re-programme that particular motion”, which is likely to see ministers having to devote more parliamentary time to the row over Mr Paterson.
Labour’s Chris Bryant, the chair of the standards committee that recommended Mr Paterson’s suspension, said there would now be a one-hour debate on Tuesday on rescinding the 3 November motion and to approve the findings against Mr Paterson.
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Liberal Democrat chief whip Wendy Chamberlain claimed the government had presided over a “total farce” in the Commons.
“First, the Government scheduled this motion so there would be no chance for debate,” she said.
“Now, the motion hasn’t passed. It’s insulting that, after two weeks of this scandal, the government couldn’t even perform their sleaze U-turn successfully.
“This tells you all you need to know about the state of the Conservative Party.
“It’s vital that the Government brings this back before MPs as soon as possible.
“Every day that goes by without this being repealed, the more embarrassing this whole affair becomes. We must move forward.”
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3 November – ‘Shame’: MPs vote against suspension of ex-minister
The SNP’s shadow leader of the House of Commons, Pete Wishart, said Monday night had seen “one of these delicious, farcical comedy moments in the House of Commons where all the best laid plans fall apart”.
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Nigel Farage has confirmed he wants to deport women asylum seekers back to the Taliban in Afghanistan if he becomes prime minister.
The Reform UK leader’s position on the topic has not been clear, with him previously saying he would send women back to the fundamentalist regime that took over after western militaries withdrew, before now saying he would.
Mr Farage was speaking to Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby at the Reform UK party conference in Birmingham.
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When asked if he would “detain” women and children and “send them back”, the Clacton MP said “yes”.
Challenged on when he said in August that he was not “discussing” women and children, Mr Farage claimed this was a reference to his desire to seeing men detained on arrival in the UK.
At the time he said he was “very, very clear” on the “deportation of illegal immigrants”, adding: “We are not even discussing women and children at this stage – there are so many illegal males in Britain, and the news reports that said that after my conference yesterday were wrong”
Speaking today, Mr Farage claimed that the UK has a “duty of care” if a four-year-old arrives in a dinghy, for example – but not so for women and men.
“For clarity, those that cross the English Channel will be detained and deported, men and women,” Mr Farage went on.
“Children, we’ll have to think about.”
The Reform leader also rowed back on his pledge to stop all boats within two weeks if he is elected prime minister.
Speaking to the conference yesterday, Mr Farage said: “You cannot come here illegally and stay – we will stop the boats within two weeks of winning government.”
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Watch Farage face questions on his tax affairs
But speaking to Beth Rigby today, he changed tack – saying “the passing of legislation” would be required.
He said the boats would then be stopped within two weeks, or sooner.
In the interview with Rigby, Mr Farage tried to claim he did not say he would end the boats within two weeks of “winning government”.
But the video of his speech, as well as the transcript released by Reform UK, clearly show him saying: “We will stop the boats within two weeks of winning government.”
When asked why he wouldn’t be able to stop the boats within two weeks of winning government, Mr Farage said it was impossible and “no one” can prevent them crossing the Channel.
The Reform UK leader said the law he wants to introduce will be called the Illegal Migration Act once it is passed by parliament.
He confirmed his agenda includes leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, shutting down asylum hotels and housing people at RAF bases instead, as well as deporting Channel migrants.
Mr Farage also claimed that deportation flights would also begin within two weeks of the law changing, and this combination of factors would stop people from wanting to travel from France.
This strategy all depends on Reform UK winning the next general election – which Labour does not have to call until 2029.
However, Mr Farage says he believes the government will collapse in 2027 due to economic pressure and other factors.
Reform are currently well clear of Labour and the Conservatives in the polling, and are targeting next year’s Welsh, Scottish and English local election to try and win more power in councils and national assemblies.
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