UK’s Johnson under fire as MPs debate standards system

Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced pressure
to appear before British lawmakers debating the standards system Monday, as
days of sleaze and cronyism claims against his government intensified with
new revelations.

MPs will hold an emergency afternoon debate amid calls for an independent
inquiry into the mounting allegations of apparent corruption and
inappropriate conduct within the Conservative party and government.

It follows outrage at efforts last week to overhaul parliament’s internal
disciplinary process which would have prevented the 30-day suspension of a
Tory MP found to have committed an “egregious” breach of lobbying rules.

Although Johnson abandoned the unprecedented move within 24 hours —
prompting the lawmaker, Owen Paterson, to resign from parliament — it threw
the spotlight on a raft of allegations around MPs’ behaviour.

This heightened over the weekend with a report the Conservatives have been
“systematically” awarding seats in the unelected House of Lords, parliament’s
upper chamber which scrutinises legislation, to its high-value donors.

An investigation by The Sunday Times and Open Democracy found almost all
of the party’s 16 different treasurers over the past two decades were offered
seats after increasing their donations to more than o3 million.

It follows other claims of government wrongdoing over the awarding of
coronavirus contracts and multiple aspects of Johnson’s own conduct, as well
as renewed focus on lawmakers being able to have high-paying second jobs.

Paterson himself was found to have repeatedly lobbied ministers and
officials for two companies paying him more than o100,000 ($140,000, 120,000
euros) a year.

“There are definitely conflicts of interest that need to be considered,”
Liberal Democrat MP Wendy Chamberlain, a former policewoman who applied for
Monday’s urgent debate, told BBC radio.

“We really do need to look at things and that’s what I hope the debate
does this afternoon.”

Her party has called for a public inquiry into the sleaze and corruption
allegations, which would have the power to summon witnesses and take evidence
under oath.

– ‘Say sorry’ –

Keir Starmer, leader of the main opposition Labour party, demanded the
prime minister himself show up to apologise, as he called for further
disclosures of Paterson’s correspondence with ministers over Covid contracts.

“Boris Johnson needs to attend this debate, answer for his mistakes,
apologise to the country and take action to undo the damage he has done,”
Starmer said.

“The country is yet to hear a word of contrition over his attempts to
create one rule for him and his friends and another for everyone else.

“He must now come to the House and say sorry.”

On Sunday, environment minister George Eustice called the furious reaction
to Paterson’s case “a storm in a teacup”, while international trade minister
Anne-Marie Trevelyan on Monday dismissed the need for Johnson to attend the
debate.

“He’s dealing with many, many other issues that a prime minister, only a
prime minister, can deal with,” she told Sky News.

AFP