Tories tell the UK: ‘We are all corrupt; we are all Owen Paterson’
I see Countdown‘s Susie Dent still has her finger on the pulse of current affairs:
Word of the day is ‘malversation’ (16th century): the corrupt administration of power.
— Susie Dent (@susie_dent) November 3, 2021
The question of the day is, did we learn anything from the vote to save Owen Paterson from a 30-day suspension as an MP that we didn’t know already?
Debatable, isn’t it?
We know why he had been recommended for suspension – or at least, we should…
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?
— David__Osland (@David__Osland) November 3, 2021
Well… he may have been instrumental in getting Randox that contract. The real shocker is the fact that many of the Randox testing kits had to be withdrawn due to concerns about contamination – meaning care homes did not get the test kits they needed. And we know that the 30,000 or so care home deaths were a major controversy in the Covid-19 crisis.
If only the protective ring thrown around care homes had matched the one thrown around Owen Paterson.
— Otto Von Jizzmark (@Ottojizzmark) November 3, 2021
But those are just consequences of his crime, which was simply to have undertaken paid lobbying for the companies that employed him – as Standards Committee member Chris Bryant made plain in his speech:
Chris Bryant(Standards Committee) lays out the charges against #OwenPaterson
"He did the one the thing he was banned from doing, lobby Minister's time & again in a way that conferred a direct benefit on his paying clients, that is expressly forbidden, it is a corrupt practice" pic.twitter.com/1r8UC9O7HZ
— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) November 3, 2021
In fact, Bryant’s speech is well worth watching in full because it puts the whole situation in its proper context and damns those who have undermined Parliament’s processes in order to protect a corrupt colleague for bringing shame down upon all MPs:
https://twitter.com/peterwalker99/status/1455928741067214853
We know why Paterson’s fellow Tory backbenchers wanted to stop it from happening: it made him vulnerable to a recall demand and to the possibility of losing his seat in a by-election.
We knew that he had claimed the investigation into his activities had been unfair and that worrying about it may have driven his wife to her death. It seems, however, that he had not suggested anything of the sort at the inquest into her death – so he was probably lying.
Hi @OwenPaterson I’m a bit confused. You said at the inquest for your poor wife that you knew of no reason she would take her own life. Last week you said it was because you were being investigated and might be ruined.
Which was the truth?— Helen 💚 (@Harryb22) November 3, 2021
It seems his claim changes with the wind:
— Madame Poubelle Pamplemousse (@msmousse1) November 3, 2021
What does it say about the measure of a man who is willing to use the tragic death of his wife as a bulwark against legitimate scrutiny, and as an emotional gag to manipulate his critics into silence?
— Miffy (@miffythegamer) November 3, 2021
And others are getting in on the act:
Rees-Mogg also weaponising a woman’s suicide. Lower than vermin. What a bunch of utter bastards.
— Mr Ethical (@nw_nicholas) November 3, 2021
We know that the decision to suspend the current process of independent investigation of MPs and replace it with a process whereby Tories investigate each other will result in corrupt decisions; look at the way Boris Johnson has ignored flagrant breaches of the Ministerial Code – including his own – because as prime minister he was responsible for policing such breaches.
BREAKING: The House of Commons votes by 250 to 232 to overturn Conservative MP Owen Paterson’s suspension and rip up the Standards regime that found him guilty of breaking anti-corruption rules.
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) November 3, 2021
MPs have just voted to set up a committee to consider the standards system, and declined to approve Paterson's suspension.
Our Parliament is a complete and utter cess-pit of bribery and corruption.— CrémantCommunarde #BeAPeacemonger ☮️ (@0Calamity) November 3, 2021
HE TOOK A BRIBE. £100k. THEY LET HIM OFF.
IT IS THAT SIMPLE— Jolyon Rubinstein (@JolyonRubs) November 3, 2021
Tory MPs have just voted to approve sleaze in the workings of the House of Commons, and effectively ended the rule of law with regard to their affairs. A tradition dating back to 1695 has been ended. MPs can now just be the hired hands of corporate lobbyists. #Theendofdemocracy
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) November 3, 2021
How long will it be before Johnson is back on £250,000 a year from the Telegraph whilst still being PM? Or perhaps a few Russian contracts might help him out instead? Who knows what will happen now…..
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) November 3, 2021
Owen Paterson MP was found by a watchdog to have "repeatedly" used his position as an MP to benefit two companies who paid him £100,000 a year. Parliament just voted to let him off.
It’s a rigged society. Time to clean the system.
— Howard Beckett (@BeckettUnite) November 3, 2021
Yes, but how do we do that, Howard?
It turns out that fully a quarter of the Tories who lined up to support Paterson – and corruption – have themselves corruptly broken Parliament’s rules:
Quarter of Tories lining up to block MPs suspension have broken Parliament ruleshttps://t.co/xieZVQX9q2 pic.twitter.com/lAkOlvbruE
— Mirror Politics (@MirrorPolitics) November 3, 2021
The Tories were fully aware that they were exposing their own corruption to the gaze of the world – and were completely comfortable with it. Some of them appeared on television, attempting to dismiss criticisms by saying they were unhappy with the investigation system rather than with its findings against Paterson. And they were shot down as hypocrites:
“I'm aware how this looks,” says Conservative MP Miriam Cates, who will not vote to suspend fellow Tory Owen Paterson, who was found to have broken standards rules
“It stinks, and it smells of corruption,” says Labour MP Zarah Sultana#PoliticsLive https://t.co/wieR0EohKa pic.twitter.com/dwuwvjNB2S
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) November 3, 2021
And we now know that Labour under Keir Starmer is not interested in tackling Tory corruption because 28 Labour MPs failed to vote against the motion that got Paterson off the hook; if they had, the attempt to pervert Parliamentary justice would have failed.
28 Labour MP's let Paterson off the hook and failed to inflict a defeat on the tories by not voting. Some may have been paired but not all of them. What absolute failure in opposition.
— Damien Willey 🟢 🔴 (@KernowDamo) November 3, 2021
If Labour is a serious Opposition it now has to cease cooperation with the government on the workings of the Commons – to force the Tories to own the corruption that they are now actively promoting.
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) November 3, 2021
As the U.K. slips further into Fascism, WHERE is the voice of the Leader of the Opposition?
— Tom London (@TomLondon6) November 3, 2021
Ultimately we know that, while this vote superficially helps Owen Paterson keep his job despite his corruption, the deeper effect is to further undermine faith that our elected government is trustworthy – a faith that has already been perilously eroded by all the previous corruptions of Boris Johnson and his crooked cronies:
This is the most corrupt Government in modern history.
Tory MPs can try to shout me down all they want – it won't change that. pic.twitter.com/NeK5D9nuA9
— Richard Burgon MP (@RichardBurgon) November 3, 2021
And, knowing all of the above, we are absolutely incandescent with fury:
I agree that Owen Paterson’s 30 day suspension is grossly unfair. He should be in prison.
— Mr Ethical (@nw_nicholas) November 3, 2021
I can’t even begin to describe the deep down gut wrenching raging anger I feel at what Johnsons reckless, lying, law breaking Government has done to our Parliament, our democracy & our country. If I have to make it my life’s ambition to see it thrown from office so be it
— Peter Stefanovic (@PeterStefanovi2) November 3, 2021
Don’t forget Johnsons Gov’t plans to strip judges of powers to review its decisions, plans to strip the Electoral Commission of its power to prosecute law-breaking, repeatedly ignores the Ministerial Code & repeatedly breaks the law. It has no comprehension of right & wrong
— Peter Stefanovic (@PeterStefanovi2) November 3, 2021
Has this Tory Govt now totally plumbed the depths ?
250 Tory MPs whipped to effectively let Owen Paterson off the hook.— Clare Hepworth OBE (@Hepworthclare) November 3, 2021
Now we know the Lunatics are running the Asylum playing Judge Jury and changing rules to aid corruption
— Brian Hunter (@brianhunter1948) November 3, 2021
As the U.K. slips further into Fascism, WHERE is the voice of the Leader of the Opposition?
— Tom London (@TomLondon6) November 3, 2021
I certainly agree that the Owen Paterson vote is one of the starkest acts of government corruption in recent memory.
— Samuel Miller (@Hephaestus7) November 3, 2021
A sickening stench of corruption.
— Jon Trickett MP (@jon_trickett) November 3, 2021
Why is his local constituency party not speaking out to deselect him – is every member of the Tory Party corrupt – it is looking that way as so many of their MP's have carried out borderline illegal activities and stay in situ.
— Carole Hawkins (@hawkins_carole) November 3, 2021
I live in North Shropshire.
I don't want Owen Paterson to be my MP@Conservatives— sue#NHSLove💙💙💙#FBNHS #GeneralElectionNow (@SueSuezep) November 3, 2021
A Tory MP can accept a £100K bribe and nothing happens, but a nurse can't accept more than a box of chocolates because this would be a conflict of interests. Let that sink in.
— Stop the Genocide (@eryxian46) November 3, 2021
If Owen Paterson had been caught working cash in hand while signing on, he'd have been up before the beak
— David__Osland (@David__Osland) November 3, 2021
Anyone still defending Johnson's corrupt regime is complicit with it.
— simon maginn (@simonmaginn) November 3, 2021
One thing we also knew – that came out strongly here – is that current Commons Speaker Lyndsay Hoyle is not strong enough to restrain the Tories’ corruption:
Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle should never have accepted Andrea Leadsom's amendment to Owen Paterson's punishment Bill.
The vote should be on the independent commissioners findings and recommendation only.
He's a huge part of the problem here too
— Alex Tiffin (@RespectIsVital) November 3, 2021
Hoyle does not have the presence of John Bercow does he.
— Carole Hawkins (@hawkins_carole) November 3, 2021
This is not over.
Parliament will now act on the amendment that protected Paterson (proposed by Andrea Leadsom, by the way; let’s make sure the right people get the blame).
We will see how the process unfolds. My guess is that it will scandalise and outrage the public to a huge degree – if they get to hear about it.
So please feel free to share this article – especially to people who voted for the shower of scum that was on display during this debate and vote.
Oh, and you can check how your own MP voted, here:
Here’s a list of every MP who just voted to scrap Parliament’s anti-corruption rules and let a corrupt MP off the hook https://t.co/oOXDqrkLVt
— Evolve Politics (@evolvepolitics) November 3, 2021
(Mine supported the corruption.)
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Little England is indeed a fascist dictatorship and democracy is non-existent! Instead we have a bunch of criminals operating our government and working hand in glove with greedy corporate companies!
The real crooks are the fake MPs currently residing in Westminster and yet it continues to be disabled women and men, those individuals claiming state financial aid and not forgetting all those women and men who are supposedly ‘falsely’ claiming they are suffering from long term severe medical conditions who are the real ‘crooks!’
News flash – become a tory MP and see how much money you can steal from the public purse because all that money belongs to the crooked tories!