Watch live as Boris Johnson takes PMQs ahead of statement on Cop26
Boris Johnson has confirmed he backs plans to rip up parliament’s procedures for punishing MP sleaze following a finding against Tory former minister Owen Paterson.
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.
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.
The prime minister, meanwhile, 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.
Under the amendment, the so-called “triple lock” would stay in place but adjustments would be allowed to be made for the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Rayner: Paterson’s mates voting him back into job
Angela Rayner says Owen Paterson’s mates are voting him back into the job.
She urges government not to continue with proposed overhaul of rules.
Matt Mathers3 November 2021 12:06
Watch: PM faces off against Angela Rayner
Watch live as Boris Johnson takes questions in the Commons:
Watch live as Boris Johnson takes PMQs ahead of statement on Cop26
Matt Mathers3 November 2021 12:04
Cabinet minister says standards rules may need ‘fixing’
Transport secretary Grant Shapps said the standards process may require “fixing”.
Speaking to broadcasters, he said: “So I think when people do things wrong, of course, there should be sanctions and that’s very important for public confidence.
“I think that what’s damaging public confidence is the idea that a single Standards Commissioner comes to conclusions, acts without speaking to and interviewing those who might be witnesses, and there are no rights of appeal or normal legal processes in place, which is a rather odd situation, and it’s that that may require fixing.”
Earlier Robert Half, the Tory MP and chair of the Commons education committee, said he would be supporting an amendment to change the rules, adding: “I think it’s right’.
Matt Mathers3 November 2021 12:00
Paterson case: ‘Facts are clear’, says former standards watchdog chief
Sir Alistair Graham, the former chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, said the “basic facts” in Tory MP Owen Paterson’s case “are clear” after he was found to have broken code of conduct rules.
Defending the standards committee’s decision to suspend him for 30 days, Sir Alistair told LBC: “Remember this is not a partisan committee, it’s a cross-party committee.”
Matt Mathers3 November 2021 11:45
Commons speaker to select Leadsom amendment
A spokesperson for Sir Lindsay Hoyle said the Commons speaker had indicted he would select an amendment put down by Dame Andrea Leadsom which calls for a review of the case of Tory MP Owen Paterson, as well as a wider look at the standards system by setting up a new select committee.
The speaker is understood to have not selected an amendment in the name of Tory MP Dr Julian Lewis which called for Mr Paterson’s potential suspension to be dropped on compassionate grounds.
According to Sky News’s Sam Coates, Dame Andrea’s amendment “notes the potential defects in the standards system and therefore declines to consider the report”.
Matt Mathers3 November 2021 11:38
UK seeking ‘new legal advice on overhaul of Northern Ireland protocol’
The UK is reportedly seeking new legal advice on overhauling Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trading arrangements.
The arrangements, governed by the NI protocol, have for months been at the heart of war between London and Brussels.
Two people familiar with knowledge of internal Whitehall discussions told the Financial Times that the government was seeking the new legal advisers to enable Suella Braverman, the UK attorney-general, to provide legal opinions supporting the government’s plans.
The paper says the move will fuel speculation that London is prepared to trigger Article 16 of the protocol, which would start the process of rewriting the trading arrangements.
Matt Mathers3 November 2021 11:30
Boris Johnson backs Tory plan to rip up parliament sleaze system
Boris Johnson has confirmed he backs plans to rip up parliament’s procedures for punishing MP sleaze, after a finding against Tory MP Owen Paterson.
Our politics editor Andrew Woodcock will have more on this breaking story as it comes in:
Matt Mathers3 November 2021 11:26
Fishing wars: No concessions to France, PM says
Britain has played down suggestions that it is planning new concessions to France, after President Emmanuel Macron put plans for retaliatory action over fishing rights on hold for 72 hours while further talks take place.
Our politics editor Andrew Woodcock reports:
Matt Mathers3 November 2021 11:15
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.”
Matt Mathers3 November 2021 11:00
Defence secretary ‘calls in military chiefs for dressing down over worrying incidents’
The defence secretary has reportedly called in senior military leaders for a dressing down over culture within their ranks and a “number of worrying incidents”.
Ben Wallace, the Tory MP for Wyre and Preston North, has sent for General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, the head of the army, among others.
The extraordinary meeting is expected to be held next week, The Times reports.
It comes amid the fall out over the alleged murder by a soldier of Kenyan sex worker, Agnes Wanjiru.
Reports over the weekend said that soldiers had joked on Facebook about the 21-year-old’s killing.
Matt Mathers3 November 2021 10:45