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Original poster

Owen Paterson

250 replies

Francescaisstressed · 03/11/2021 19:41

Political parties aside, surely Owen Patterson avoiding suspension and the Tory party changing the rules for the mates goes against the very core of democracy?

When the people in power can bend the rules when they seee fit, and have noone to hold them to account I find it incredibly troubling.

OP posts:
jgw1 · 03/11/2021 19:43

You have to realise that anyone who has met the nice Mr Paterson would know instinctively that he is not corrupt. This must be true because I heard him say it on the radio the other day and I believed every word of it.
Oddly at the same time I saw one of those flying pigs go past.

VladmirsPoutine · 03/11/2021 19:46

Someone made the pithy observation that for a government to do just that means it's not in the least bit terrified of its opposition. The tories have overseen a shambles of pretty much everything yet every poll has them holding on to (if not gaining) a stronghold. It seems to me that as a population we've got a huge kink for being trampled on - or in my case just apathy as I won't be running to vote in Keir either.

VladmirsPoutine · 03/11/2021 19:50

And the government are supported by all corners - take for example the withdrawal of the £20 uplift, those in support of withdrawing it either didn't think £20 was all that much money anyway to a family or held the view that those reliant on it should probably just 'work harder'. Or even the FSM debacle; some people genuinely thought Marcus Rashford should focus his efforts not on starving children but on perfecting his goal-scoring technique. You can't argue the tories are acting with reckless extreme when so many people find their conduct reasonable.

jgw1 · 03/11/2021 19:58

The government repeatedly give jobs and contracts to their mates and not many people question it.
My only hope that supporting the corrupt Mr Paterson will make a few more people realise what the government they have elected are like.

jgw1 · 03/11/2021 20:05

It is probably important to remember this is the same Mr Paterson who when he was environment secretary said that climate change might lead to longer growing seasons, and that more people die of cold than heat, so perhaps it is a good thing.

www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2013/sep/30/owen-paterson-science-climate-change

StrychnineInTheSandwiches · 03/11/2021 20:10

Revolting shower of corrupt scumbags.

Don't want parliamentary process getting in the way of your plans? Prorogue it
Don't want your advisor penalised for breaking lockdown rules? Ignore it.
Don't like the Electoral Commission having oversight? Try and abolish it
Don't care if one of your MPs is a dirty sex pest? Reinstate him
Don't like your mate being punished for being a greedy corrupt bastard? Change the rules after he's been found guilty.

Well done to the 13 Tory MPs who voted against this today.

And may I add, the way Paterson has blamed the investigation of his corruption for his wife's suicide is disgusting.

TheCrowFromBelow · 03/11/2021 20:15

^^ what StrychnineInTheSandwiches said with bells on.
Our democracy is deeply in trouble

jgw1 · 03/11/2021 20:20

But he is such a nice man, and really needed the money.

Notonthestairs · 03/11/2021 20:22

Oh goodness I'm so bloody slow.

I've just realised that they are worried about future conduct issues - all those covid contracts for millions dolled out to their mates and families. They'd be roasted by an independent standards committee.

They need to rig the process now to save themselves in the future.

RainingYetAgain · 03/11/2021 20:23

I could not put it better than StrychnineInTheSandwiches
It is completely appalling, particularly the comments about his wife as well.
My MP fully supports him which sadly doesn't surprise me.
Its shade of the Major government sleaze all over again.

jgw1 · 03/11/2021 20:25

@RainingYetAgain

I could not put it better than StrychnineInTheSandwiches It is completely appalling, particularly the comments about his wife as well. My MP fully supports him which sadly doesn't surprise me. Its shade of the Major government sleaze all over again.
Is it like the Major government, or is it actually far worse?
Totallydefeated · 03/11/2021 20:29

@StrychnineInTheSandwiches

Revolting shower of corrupt scumbags.

Don't want parliamentary process getting in the way of your plans? Prorogue it
Don't want your advisor penalised for breaking lockdown rules? Ignore it.
Don't like the Electoral Commission having oversight? Try and abolish it
Don't care if one of your MPs is a dirty sex pest? Reinstate him
Don't like your mate being punished for being a greedy corrupt bastard? Change the rules after he's been found guilty.

Well done to the 13 Tory MPs who voted against this today.

And may I add, the way Paterson has blamed the investigation of his corruption for his wife's suicide is disgusting.

This.

I think i'm going to print this and mail it to my Tory MP, who, true to form, voted in favour of Paterson today.

Jamclag · 03/11/2021 20:36

While I have sympathy for Owen Paterson's children, I have very little for him. His wife's death can be seen as a direct consequence of his own behaviour, not the investigation that followed.
And the Tory response is just the latest example of the corruption and complete disregard for the rule of law/democratic process shown by Johnson's completely shameless govt.

I'm beyond fuming but apart from my immediate family everyone I talk to is completely apathetic. It feels like most of the population has been given some kind of sedative to keep them calmly swallowing this shit while chanting the mantra 'politicians are all the same anyway, they're doing the best they can, Labour would have been worse etc...'

jgw1 · 03/11/2021 21:30

I'd love to know what the 8% in the poll who think you are unreasonable have as their logic.

Hearwego · 03/11/2021 21:31

I do remember the Tory sleaze of the 90s when John Major was PM...

MythicalBiologicalFennel · 03/11/2021 21:38

@TheCrowFromBelow

^^ what StrychnineInTheSandwiches said with bells on. Our democracy is deeply in trouble
A majority of voters don't give a shit though.
ChateauMargaux · 03/11/2021 21:53

I would also like to hear from the YABU side...

StrychnineInTheSandwiches · 03/11/2021 23:00

Tweet from the Telegraph: Owen Paterson has called on the parliamentary standards commissioner to quit after MPs declined to back a six-week suspension over the ruling that he breached lobbying rules

The arrogance of this crooked piece of shit. He got off because his chums rigged it for him, but rather than keep his head down he's decided the investigator must go.

Rancid little man.

Mooda · 03/11/2021 23:02

It stinks to high heaven and is basically a 'fuck you, we can be as corrupt as we like and you can't do a thing about it' from MPs to voters. Will the vast majority of people care? Probably not.

Mooda · 03/11/2021 23:04

The arrogance of this crooked piece of shit. He got off because his chums rigged it for him, but rather than keep his head down he's decided the investigator must go.

Rancid little man

So well said.

plinkplinkfizzer · 03/11/2021 23:33

@Hearwego

I do remember the Tory sleaze of the 90s when John Major was PM...
Me too at least there was an element of shame back then , and knew they deserved the pasting they received in the Election .
FatOaf · 03/11/2021 23:40

Paterson used to be my MP. Industrial-grade scumbucket.

But Johnson's reason for disabling the standards committee is that he is being investigated by them himself (for the fourth time).

Sean2001 · 03/11/2021 23:44

@Notonthestairs

Oh goodness I'm so bloody slow.

I've just realised that they are worried about future conduct issues - all those covid contracts for millions dolled out to their mates and families. They'd be roasted by an independent standards committee.

They need to rig the process now to save themselves in the future.

Yes - it's this. And Boris himself is covering his own back.
OneTC · 04/11/2021 00:33

What's amazing to me is that it's a 30 day suspension

Basically a 30 day holiday for selling out democracy

Nice work if you can get it 👍

adarkwhisperinthewoodwasheard · 04/11/2021 00:59

What really gets me is the 'yes, but who else is there to vote for' crowd. Seriously? ANYONE. I mean, literally ANYONE would be better. There is no possible worse option at the moment in the UK. Even Lord Buckethead couldn't be as bad.

Think about it - the current government has basically destroyed the idea of ministerial resposibility, legitimised corruption, proved incompetent beyond the imagination even of the Muppets, is full of bullies and incompetents, and has an inability to come up with any policy other than 'something should be done about this, so that person over there should do it. And because they should do it you can't blame us when it goes wrong'.

I'm no Starmer fan - he has all the charisma of a pissed on bus stop - but he has proved that he's smart, competent and professional (when he was a prosecutor), and at least gives a shit about more than his career, wallet, or school chums. I'm absolutely disgusted by the current administration and the way they have (potentially irrevocably) undermined the UK constitution. If they stay past the end of 2022, it will almost certainly be the end of the union. The devolved nations aren't going to hang around to be dictated to by a Westminister system broken beyond salvation by this government.