Westminster is home to one of the most revered and well-respected political establishments in the world. UK politics has always prided itself on promoting its traditions, values, and high principles. But after a spate of damaging scandals, Westminster’s reputation is at risk. Standards in public life have slipped, and the public may have had enough.…
Ian Hislop says standards in British public life are “very depressing”, as he denounced the lobbying culture of MPs in a standards committee session this afternoon. Asked by the standards committee chair, Chris Bryant, how MPs were doing on standards in British public life, Hislop complained they were “not good”. The editor of Private Eye…
In light of the recent controversies at Westminster, notably around the level of earnings from some MPs second jobs, and the accusations of sleaze against the former MP Owen Patterson, we saw the irony in the Prime Minister deciding to take a visit to Peppa Pig world. The post Boris sees some familar faces…
Leader of the House Jacob Rees-Mogg announced that the government has u-turned on the controversial standards amendment passed yesterday. Rees-Mogg said: “I fear last night’s debate conflated the individual case with the general concern”, despite last night saying it was important to “do the right thing” even when faced with “a degree of opprobrium”. SNP’s…
MPs have voted to reform the parliamentary committee on standards and review the suspension of Owen Paterson by 248 to 221. The amendment to the bill was led by Conservative backbenchers, including Andrea Leadsom, and reportedly pushed through with a three-line-whip. Paterson, who was found by the independent cross-party standards committee to have used his…
