Inside Politics: Red wall Tories ‘apoplectic with rage’ as No 10 engulfed in sleaze over Paterson case

PM criticised over poor handling of Paterson suspension, as North Shropshire MP resigns to leave ‘cruel world of politics’, writes Matt Mathers

(PA)

So there we have it. Less than 24 hours after Tories voted to save their colleague Owen Paterson from suspension, Downing Street has abandoned its initial plan to overhaul standards procedures and the MP for North Shropshire has resigned with his reputation in tatters. Even for this government, which has become accustomed to backtracking following poor errors of judgement, the nature of the huge, screeching U-turn was spectacular. Now the Tory MPs whose noses were filled with a rotten stench over the proposals to rip up sleaze rules smell nothing but burning rubber. Why didn’t Paterson just serve his suspension and let the whole thing blow over? That’s the question many Tory MPs – bar Paterson himself, probably – may be asking this morning. Incredibly, the former minister refused to accept any wrongdoing in his resignation letter last night, insisting on his innocence despite being found guilty of breaching the MPs code of conduct. Boris Johnson now wakes up to yet another fine mess and faces furious, senior Conservatives who put their reputations on the line to vote for an amendment that will now have to be unpicked. The government also appears to have taken a hit over the case, with a Times poll this morning showing the Tory lead has shrunk by five points to just one.

Inside the bubble

Parliament is not sitting. De-facto Brexit minister Lord Frost is in Brussels for talks with Maros Sefcovic over the Northern Ireland protocol and the role of the European Court of Justice there.

Coming up:

– Lib Dem MP Christine Jardine on talkRADIO at 8.05am

– Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi on Times Radio at 8.20am

Daily Briefing

OWEN GOAL: Paterson said yesterday that he would continue as a public servant but complained he is leaving the “cruel world of politics”. However, when the dust settles, the outgoing MP may realise that he really has no one but himself to blame for his downfall. Looking back at events over the past 48 hours there are two incidents, in particular, that stand out as contributing to the massive backlash seen over his case. Despite having been found to have broken lobbying rules, an unrepentant Paterson said in an interview on Wednesday evening that he would do the same thing again, comments that are said to have infuriated his boss in No 10. In another interview with the BBC, Paterson acknowledged that his colleagues had “taken a political hit”, which doesn’t amount to an admission of wrongdoing but gives the impression of him knowing that what was happening was a bit off and would damage his party and colleagues.

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE: Senior Tories are furious at the debacle, with one ex-minister telling The Independent that MPs – particularly the younger 2019 intake in marginal red wall seats in the Midlands and the north – were “apoplectic with rage” at being ordered to vote in a way which gave the impression they were bending the rules to save their colleague. Conservative HQ now prepares for a by-election in Paterson’s ultra-safe North Shropshire constituency. Labour has confirmed it will contest the seat after holding talks with the Greens and Lib Dems about cooperating to back an independent anti-sleaze candidate.

ESCAPES THE WEBBE: Another MP who may well be on their way out of the Commons is Claudia Webbe, who was yesterday handed a suspended sentence for harassing a female friend of her boyfriend. The 56-year-old, who sits as an independent MP after being suspended by Labour, was also given 200 hours of community service by Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday. The court heard she had made a string of threatening calls to Michelle Merritt, a friend of her partner, Lester Thomas, in the space of around a year and a half. In one of them, she threatened to throw acid over the 59-year-old and share naked images of her. Labour is calling for Webbe, who maintains her innocence, to stand down. Shabana Mahmood, the MP for Birmingham, Ladywood, said: “It’s an incredibly serious offence and we called on her to resign as soon as she was convicted.” She called on Webbe to “do the right thing by the people of Leicester East” and said Labour would be fielding its own candidate to offer constituents “a fresh choice”.

WE’LL MEET AGAIN: Talks between Lord Frost and Clement Beaune, France’s European Union affairs minister, over post-Brexit fishing rights ended in stalemate yesterday as both sides set out a “range of difficulties” in Paris, although the frosty relations appear to be thawing somewhat, with both sides agreeing to meet again and Beaune describing the meeting as “useful and positive”. After the meeting, Boris Johnson’s spokesperson said: “The French government have been clear they’re not looking to proceed with those threats in breach of the TCA [trade and cooperation agreement] in the coming days.”

On the record

“My integrity, which I hold very dear, has been repeatedly and publicly questioned. I maintain that I am totally innocent of what I have been accused of and I acted at all times in the interests of public health and safety.”

Paterson maintains his innocence.

From the Twitterati

“Owen Paterson is the latest casualty of Boris Johnson’s self-preservation politics.”

i columnist Paul Waugh on PM’s handling of case.

Essential reading

• John Rentoul, The Independent: Reverse, reverse! PM’s survival instinct has kicked in
• Cathy Newman, The Independent: I’ve bumped into Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeff Bezos and Narendra Modi – Cop26 is politics at its strangest
• James Forsyth, The Times: Johnson’s next problem is his own furious MPs
• Ian Kelly, The Atlantic: Russia took advantage while the West slept

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