• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Politics

Red wall Tory tells Owen Paterson: ‘You’re a c***’

The lobbying scandal is boiling over in Westminster, with one Tory MP reportedly confronting Paterson in the Commons.

Henry Goodwin by Henry Goodwin
2021-11-05 10:30
in Politics
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Civil war is breaking out on the Conservative benches as fury over the government’s handling of the Owen Paterson affair boils over in Westminster.

A new poll carried out by YouGov in the wake of the dramatic Commons vote on Wednesday to suspend the standards system showed the Tory poll lead plummeting by five points.

The party is now just one point of Labour, plunging from 39 per cent to 36 per cent in just a week – while Keir Starmer has seen his stock rise to 35 per cent, according to the poll in The Times.

As the fallout continues, the prime minister now faces the prospect of a by-election in North Shropshire which will be dominated by allegations of sleaze following Paterson’s resignation.

‘C***’

Anger has now erupted between MPs, with one red wall Tory reportedly confronting Paterson in the House of Commons for his role in the lobbying scandal.

According to The Times, Paterson was approached by Christian Wakeford, the Tory MP for Bury South while walking through the division lobby for a vote on the nuclear energy bill, hours after the Commons voted to gut the standards regime.

A fuming Wakeford reportedly approached Paterson and, in full view of colleagues, called him “a c***” – before storming off. 

RelatedPosts

Putin hits back at Boris Johnson’s pecs jibes

Former MP jailed for pocketing donations

Rory Stewart’s Feynman-esque Yale talk is a must-watch

Liz Truss rejects ‘kangaroo court’ claims over BoJo investigation

The conflict within the party has been portrayed as pitting younger MPs versus the old guard, with those in marginal seats like the red wall furious at being hung out to dry for Paterson’s sake.

One columnist on Friday morning quoted a cabinet minister who said: We saw two parties today. The 2017 and 2019 intakes who didn’t understand why they were being asked to vote for this, and the pre-2010 intakes who were more taken with the idea of protecting one of their own.”

Boris Johnson now faces the prospect of a by-election in North Shropshire which will be dominated by allegations of sleaze following Paterson’s resignation.

And Labour has demanded an investigation into comments by the business secretary relating to the future of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, whose probe into Paterson triggered the chaos seen this week in Westminster.

The farcical series of events have led to some Tories pointing the finger of blame at Chief Whip Mark Spencer, although Downing Street insisted Johnson had confidence in him and the “excellent job” he was doing.

Former chief whip Mark Harper who was one of 13 Tories to rebel to vote against the plans on Wednesday, said the affair was “one of the most unedifying episodes” he has seen during his 16 years in Parliament and appeared to blame Johnson.

“My colleagues should not have been instructed, from the very top, to vote for this,” he said.

‘Disgusting’

Paterson had a comfortable majority of almost 23,000 in North Shropshire and the circumstances of the by-election have led to claims the opposition parties could unite behind a single anti-sleaze candidate, although Labour sources insisted no “official” talks had taken place.

Before the Government’s U-turn and Paterson’s subsequent resignation, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng suggested the result of the vote calling for reform of the Commons standards regime had put Kathryn Stone’s position as Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards in doubt.

“I think it’s difficult to see what the future of the commissioner is, given the fact that we’re reviewing the process, and we’re overturning and trying to reform this whole process, but it’s up to the commissioner to decide her position,” he told Sky News.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner has demanded an investigation into whether those comments breached the Ministerial Code which calls for “consideration and respect” and for “proper and appropriate” working relationships with parliamentary staff.

In a letter to the independent adviser on ministers’ interests Lord Geidt, Rayner said: “For the Business Secretary to use this entirely corrupt process to bully the independent Parliamentary Commissioner is disgusting.”

Related: Tory poll lead slashed to one point in wake of Paterson debacle

Tags: Boris JohnsonOwen Paterson

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

St Luke’s Table launches luxury plant-based menu in its intimate hidden space

Top 10 home improvements to add value to your home

Set For Life Results for Thursday 9 December 2021 Tonight’s winning numbers

OAP who saved up pension for dream Benidorm holiday says it was ruined due to ‘too many Spaniards’

Pensioner left paralysed when a freak wave crashed over him while he was on five-star holiday

Call for smoking ban in home as figures show almost a third of smokers’ kids ‘likely to die from lung disease’

‘I don’t have another choice’: Boxing legends Klitschko brothers vow to take up arms against Putin

US policy – in 140 characters

Sadiq Khan tells Labour to ‘stick together’ to defeat the Tories

17-year-old solider wondering why Jeremy Hunt has banned him from sexting

JOBS

FIND MORE JOBS

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.