What happened with Owen Paterson today?

[Sean2001]

Could someone explain please? Sorry - I'm a bit stupid.

The vote enabled the Tories to be even sleazier than they already are - is what I'm reading.

How is this? What happened today?

Ah thanks @Namechangeisgood - that's a better explanation.

I copied this from Twitter (David Osland)

"If you're wondering what the Owen Paterson case is basically about, it's this: the healthcare firm that kept him on a six-figure retainer won a £133m contract to produce Covid testing kits without even having to bid. Now, is that right or is that wrong?"

[quote SquirrelFan]@Libertaire thank you for setting it out so clearly, with context - I only heard snippets on the radio and I didn't get it![/quote]
Phew - I’m not the only one then.

Yes thanks - I understand better now.

His initial punishment was 30 day suspension which is terribly light for what he did anyway. Doesn't matter now cus the Tories have decided everything is fine and he won't get suspended at all. I'm sure all the hard Tory voters will conveniently forget about it in about 48 hours

I think it's outrageous he has tried to associate the inquiry with his wife's death. As if suicide isn't a complex and multifaceted phenomenon. Really demeaning.

Yes. Lobbying is an accepted part of politics. I give an MP money and they use their influence/access to the PM and cabinet to influence the thinking of the Govt. Oil companies, airlines, road haulage etc all do this. Lots of other companies as well. Car industry would lobby for petrol/diesel vehicles to continue after 2030. But there are rules about it. The Tories want to move the goalposts.

Keir Starmer says Labour will not participate in the committee. Which committee?

What does this mean?

It's utterly disgusting. How do we protest?

There is a petition

speakout.38degrees.org.uk/campaigns/we-need-independent-mp-scrutiny?utm_campaign=PFLBWFwn5A&utm_content&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share&FB_PRIVATE_TRACKING=%7B%22loggedout_browser_id%22%3A%22d8aad34d7274546b069fc8440d4ff9c1e8d66a7c%22%7D&fbclid=IwAR1r0QAlA3PZuWTc7XNuHsTsEYrO39dIriiJnCcbO7xIvH4VjrKXn-y493E

As to whether committee , I suspect the new committee they want to set up rather than independent scrutiny.

Signed!

Tories being tories. Why anyone is surprised at the actions of these pricks at this point is completely beyond me.

@Sean2001

Keir Starmer says Labour will not participate in the committee. Which committee?

What does this mean?

They are setting up a cross-party committee (with the casting vote held by a Tory chairman) to come up with an alternative to the current state of affairs. Paterson's punishment will be suspended until the committee have made recommendations.

Labour and the SNP have both said they will not participate.

What happened is that the Tories demonstrated their Trump like plans again. It's shocking.

emmylousings

I think it's outrageous he has tried to associate the inquiry with his wife's death. As if suicide isn't a complex and multifaceted phenomenon. Really demeaning

Totally agree.

And Boris Johnson was also immoral enough to refer to it as well. Horrible. I did hear some rumblings of disapproval from MPs in response to that.

Wonder where the usual cheerleaders are defending it all ?

Signed

More Tory corruption on top of plenty of pre-existing Tory corruption.

Really gross how he's tried to use his wife's suicide to his advantage. I'm beginning to think the fact she took her life on his birthday was a statement about their marriage. Poor woman.

What has really annoyed me is that he not only broke the rules but said he intends to keep on breaking them.

How do we stand up to this government? Why are there no more demonstrations/protest marches?

Petitions are all well and good - but we know the government ignores them.

What can we do? Voting makes no difference - there are too many stupid hamster wheel Tory voters.

What can we do? We have to do something?

One of the biggest things one can do is write/call your MP's office. When MPs get a huge amount of mail on one particular topic, it unnerves them. It shows them the public is aware of what is going on and doesn't like it. Apparently, a lot of angry constituents have already been contacting their MPs over this.

Another one is their relentless privatisation of the NHS, the bill is going through Parliament at the moment. It needs to be fought. When challenged, every single Tory MP has sent out the same worded letter to constituents, So they are obviously being told what to say from No 10. With enough pressure, this government does back down. They push as far as they can, and with no challenge, they will go all the way. The MPs depend on the public's ignorance and apathy. It has to stop.

This petition explains well about the Paterson case:

r.ippl.es/mps-corruption/

I've read a bit about this but didn't understand. Was he lobbying the food standards agency? About antibiotics in the milk. Did they get removed? What did that have to do with Randox and Lynn's Country Foods that he was lobbying on behalf of? Is milk better and safer now without the antibiotics, if indeed they were removed? I don't believe he did it, as he said, to save the dairy industry, but how does it tie together?

@hopeso
This petition explains well about the Paterson case:
r.ippl.es/mps-corruption/

No, it doesn't. It explains nothing about the lobbying.

[quote hopeso]One of the biggest things one can do is write/call your MP's office. When MPs get a huge amount of mail on one particular topic, it unnerves them. It shows them the public is aware of what is going on and doesn't like it. Apparently, a lot of angry constituents have already been contacting their MPs over this.

Another one is their relentless privatisation of the NHS, the bill is going through Parliament at the moment. It needs to be fought. When challenged, every single Tory MP has sent out the same worded letter to constituents, So they are obviously being told what to say from No 10. With enough pressure, this government does back down. They push as far as they can, and with no challenge, they will go all the way. The MPs depend on the public's ignorance and apathy. It has to stop.

This petition explains well about the Paterson case:

r.ippl.es/mps-corruption/[/quote]
But my MP is Labour - which I'm really glad about. Writing to her won't help though will it?

My MP is a Tory stooge who voted for this. I’ve emailed him about a lot of things. Every reply is a just weasly worded party line.

@Sean2001 I think it's worth writing to say you support your MP in not supporting any new Tory led standards committee.

It helps them to know what matters to voters.

But my MP is Labour - which I'm really glad about. Writing to her won't help though will it?

Yes, it still will because it's important for them to know how constituents feel - and that all feed back to central HQ.