Chair of standards committee blasts Leadsom amendment as ‘perversion of justice’

Labour MP Chris Bryant, chair of the parliamentary standards committee has told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the government’s quashing of Owen Paterson’s suspension via an amendment proposing to reform the standards process is a “perversion of justice”.

He said the committee had concluded that Paterson “had lobbied on behalf of commercial interests” for firms paying him over £9000 per month “on at least 14 occasions.”

He refuted Paterson’s arguments that he was lobbying on behalf of public health interests, saying that he had not drawn attention to the issue via speeches, social media or opinion pieces.

“The problem is that they are implying MPs should be allowed to take money to ask questions in the House of Commons and to lobby ministers, that is the definition of corruption,” he said in reference to MPs who voted against Paterson’s suspension.

He argued that Paterson had been given ample opportunity to present evidence and that his own admissions about lobbying had contributed to the case against him. He said the committee’s processes was similar to those in most UK workplaces.

He suggested that the government’s decision to support last-minute reform that would retrospectively overturn Paterson’s suspension was a “perversion of justice”, saying: “That’s not what we do in this country it’s what they do in Russia when a friend or a foe is suddenly under the cosh in the courts.”

Dame Andrea Leadsom’s amendment recommends that “the current standards system should give Members of Parliament the same or similar rights as apply to those subject to investigations of alleged misconduct in other workplaces and professions”, which would entail the “right of representation, examination of witness and appeal”.

It suggests that the new committee is made up of four Conservative MPs, three Labour MPs and one SNP MP, however there have been indications opposition MPs could boycott the panel.