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Sleaze.
DHSC resisting release of documents on Owen Paterson meeting
The government has resisted for nearly a year the release of documents that could shed light on whether the Conservative MP Owen Paterson promoted a healthcare firm that paid him to be a consultant.
For more than 11 months the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has failed to respond to a freedom of information request seeking records of a meeting between a health minister, Paterson and the firm, Randox.
Paterson, a former cabinet minister, is facing a suspension of 30 days from the House of Commons after parliament’s sleaze watchdog found on Tuesday that he had broken the rules when he lobbied for Randox and a second client, the food manufacturing firm Lynn’s Country Foods, on different matters.
Kathryn Stone, the parliamentary commissioner for standards, initiated her investigation two years ago after the Guardian disclosed details of Paterson’s lobbying for the two companies, which had hired him as a paid consultant.
Stone, backed by the Commons’ standards committee, which polices members’ conduct, decided that the North Shropshire MP had committed an “egregious” breach of lobbying rules, raising the possibility that he could lose his seat if enough constituents were to sign a recall petition and trigger a byelection.
The MPs on the all-party committee said: “No previous case of paid advocacy has seen so many breaches or such a clear pattern of behaviour in failing to separate private and public interests.”
They ruled that Paterson had violated the MPs’ code of conduct in three ways when he promoted the financial interests of Randox and Lynn’s Country Foods between November 2016 and February 2020.
Paterson continues to receive almost £100,000 a year from Randox and £12,000 a year from Lynn’s for consultancy work, in addition to his £81,000 parliamentary salary. His more recent work for Randox did not fall within the remit of Stone’s investigation.
On 30 March 2020, at the start of the pandemic, Randox was given a £133m contract by DHSC to conduct coronavirus tests. Other firms were not able to bid for the contract because the government argued that the work had to be conducted urgently.
For 11 months DHSC has delayed giving any response to a freedom of information request by the Guardian for copies of documents that may explain what happened at this meeting. It, like other public bodies, are required to respond within 20 working days.
In October 2020 the department awarded a new £347m Covid-19 testing contract to Randox as an extension to the previous contract. It was again agreed without other companies being invited to bid.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/dhsc-resisting-release-of-documents-on-owen-paterson-meeting/ar-AAQ5K5e?ocid=msedgntp
The government has resisted for nearly a year the release of documents that could shed light on whether the Conservative MP Owen Paterson promoted a healthcare firm that paid him to be a consultant.
For more than 11 months the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has failed to respond to a freedom of information request seeking records of a meeting between a health minister, Paterson and the firm, Randox.
Paterson, a former cabinet minister, is facing a suspension of 30 days from the House of Commons after parliament’s sleaze watchdog found on Tuesday that he had broken the rules when he lobbied for Randox and a second client, the food manufacturing firm Lynn’s Country Foods, on different matters.
Kathryn Stone, the parliamentary commissioner for standards, initiated her investigation two years ago after the Guardian disclosed details of Paterson’s lobbying for the two companies, which had hired him as a paid consultant.
Stone, backed by the Commons’ standards committee, which polices members’ conduct, decided that the North Shropshire MP had committed an “egregious” breach of lobbying rules, raising the possibility that he could lose his seat if enough constituents were to sign a recall petition and trigger a byelection.
The MPs on the all-party committee said: “No previous case of paid advocacy has seen so many breaches or such a clear pattern of behaviour in failing to separate private and public interests.”
They ruled that Paterson had violated the MPs’ code of conduct in three ways when he promoted the financial interests of Randox and Lynn’s Country Foods between November 2016 and February 2020.
Paterson continues to receive almost £100,000 a year from Randox and £12,000 a year from Lynn’s for consultancy work, in addition to his £81,000 parliamentary salary. His more recent work for Randox did not fall within the remit of Stone’s investigation.
On 30 March 2020, at the start of the pandemic, Randox was given a £133m contract by DHSC to conduct coronavirus tests. Other firms were not able to bid for the contract because the government argued that the work had to be conducted urgently.
For 11 months DHSC has delayed giving any response to a freedom of information request by the Guardian for copies of documents that may explain what happened at this meeting. It, like other public bodies, are required to respond within 20 working days.
In October 2020 the department awarded a new £347m Covid-19 testing contract to Randox as an extension to the previous contract. It was again agreed without other companies being invited to bid.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/dhsc-resisting-release-of-documents-on-owen-paterson-meeting/ar-AAQ5K5e?ocid=msedgntp
Comments
The March 2020 contract might be justifiable. It was the start of the pandemic. People were panicking. The Government was panicking.
But let's look at the October 2020 one.
A £347 million pound contract. Done on the nod, without anyone else able to bid.
On the original say-so of a backbench MP whose primary job appears to be working for Randox, with a sideline job as MP. Who, apparently, managed to avoid telling anyone this. Even his wife's suicide doesn't appear to have raised alarm bells. This Government expects me to believe they didn't know fine well? Shame on them.
The proposed 30-day suspension? Ludicrously lenient.
But why is this Government not being held to account? And why is Randox continuing to benefit from this dodgy deal?
At least they will be able to carry on sponsoring 'The Grand National'
Urgency has been the excuse for a number of poor decisions.
His suspension is not guaranteed.
Senior Tories plan bid to overturn Owen Paterson's 30-day suspension from Parliament after Westminster's anti-sleaze watchdog found him guilty of breaking lobbying rules
The Commons Standards Committee said last week that Owen Paterson had committed an 'egregious case of paid advocacy' on behalf of two companies
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10148785/Senior-Tories-plan-bid-overturn-Owen-Patersons-30-day-suspension.html
DAVID DAVIS: Owen Paterson, a good man, has lost his wife and faces political ruin because of an absurdly flawed Commons investigation
DAVID DAVIS: An MP for more than 20 years and a former Cabinet Minister, Mr Paterson faces political ruin, thanks to a one-sided House of Commons investigation
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-10148811/DAVID-DAVIS-Owen-Paterson-faces-political-ruin-absurdly-flawed-Commons-investigation.html
NHS Test and Trace is still lavishing millions on nearly 2,000 consultants
NHS Test and Trace is still paying nearly 2,000 consultants despite repeated promises to reduce its use of private external firms, parliamentary correspondence reveals.
Letters sent to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) show little change in the use of the private contractors, some of whom were paid as much as £6,600 a day.
In a report, the PAC said the £37 billion service, set up at ministers’ behest, had been an “eye-watering” waste of taxpayers’ money which failed to achieve its objectives.
Dame Meg Hillier, the committee chairman, said the programme had “massively over-promised” and under-delivered, while spending “eye-watering sums of money”.
She raised particular concerns about a “continued reliance on the over-priced consultants” who “delivered” this state of affairs, with 2,239 on its books this April, on average rates of £1,100 a day.
https://dnyuz.com/2021/10/27/nhs-test-and-trace-is-still-lavishing-millions-on-nearly-2000-consultants/
An MP who sexually harassed a member of his staff will have his Conservative Party membership reinstated on Monday.
Rob Roberts, the MP for Delyn, began a 12-week suspension from the party on 9 August, and was also suspended from Parliament for six weeks in May.
But come Monday, he will become a member of the party again.
However, the Tory whip - which would make him a Conservative MP in the Commons - will remained suspended, so he will continue as an independent MP.
When his 12-weeks party suspension was announced, his former employee told the BBC it was "disconcerting" that someone who caused "so much concern amongst younger members of the party should be allowed to continue their membership".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59088563
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/jacob-rees-mogg-comes-to-defence-of-tory-mp-who-repeatedly-broke-lobbying-rules/ar-AAQet47?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/tories-set-to-try-to-overturn-findings-of-owen-paterson-lobbying-inquiry/ar-AAQfiwY?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531
Defence Counsel: "The Court must show mercy. The accused is an orphan..."
Judge: "True. But she is on trial accused of murdering both her parents..."
I do not know why his wife committed suicide.
It could be the inquiry.
Then again, it could have been as a result of her Husband's actions, and the inevitable shame and media attention brought on the family.
But it is OK. The completely unbiased Husband is sure it is just the former...
The Tories are obviously desperate to avoid a by-election, and will go to any lengths to protect one of their own crooked MPs.
The public will surely get fed up of them in the near future, although there seems to be no sign of this at the minute.
Standards investigation played major role in my wife's suicide - Owen Paterson
"We will never know definitively what drove her to suicide, but the investigation undoubtedly played a major role," Mr Paterson said.
"Rose would ask me despairingly every weekend about the progress of the inquiry. The longer the investigation went on and the more the questions went further and further from the original accusations, the more her anxiety increased.
"She felt beleaguered as I was bound by confidentiality and could not discuss this inquiry with anyone else. She became convinced that the investigation would destroy my reputation and force me to resign my North Shropshire seat that I have now served for 24 years."
Mr Paterson, who has represented North Shropshire for 24 years, revealed that his wife also feared she would also be a casualty and be forced to resign her post as Chairman of Aintree Racecourse and a Steward of the Jockey Club.
"They were two roles of which she was rightly enormously proud," he said.
The hearing was held in private but the evidence has since been made public and shows Mr Paterson told the committee "my family and I have no doubt that the manner in which this inquiry has been conducted played a massive role in creating the extreme anxiety that led to her suicide."
Speaking publicly about Rose's death for the first time in October last year, Mr Paterson had told the Shropshire Star that the family was at a loss to understand her decision to end her life.
"There was absolutely no warning of what she was going to do," he said.
"Not once did I contemplate suicide as the reason for Rose’s disappearance.
“In my head I went through every possible scenario that could have happened – a heart attack or a stroke, maybe she had tripped and fallen. A branch could have fallen on her or maybe she had even slipped and gone into the brook and drowned.
https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/politics/2021/10/26/standards-investigation-played-major-role-is-my-wifes-suicide---owen-paterson/
He fumed: "This is a biased process and not fair. It offends against the basic standard of procedural fairness."
He now faces a battle for his seat as constituents can vote to trigger a by-election if their MP is suspended for more than 10 days.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/politics/16538579/owen-paterson-blames-probe-for-wifes-suicide/
https://video.dailymail.co.uk/preview/mol/2021/11/04/470172149596376495/636x382_MP4_470172149596376495.mp4
Boris Johnson smashed convention by ordering his party to oppose the conclusions of the Commons standards watchdog, which said Mr Paterson should be suspended for 30 days. But the amendment 'pausing' the process and calling for a reform of the sleaze rules still only narrowly passed, as he was hit with a major revolt - including ministerial aide Angela Richardson who was fired. The move has sparked complete chaos, with the existing system for regulating MPs' behaviour in tatters and Opposition parties vowing to boycott the government's plans to agree a new one. It is unclear what will happen to the eight politicians - including Cabinet minister Therese Coffey - who are currently being probed for breaches. Parliamentary standards commissioner Kathryn Stone has indicated she has no intention of resigning - despite Mr Paterson calling for her to step down and Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng saying this morning that it is 'difficult to see' her future.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10164343/PM-accused-colossal-misjudgement-Owen-Paterson-row.html
After losing his job as environment secretary a year earlier, Owen Paterson is employed by Randox, a clinical diagnostics firm based in Northern Ireland, in 2015.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10163125/Meetings-ministers-cosy-chats-office-Owen-Paterson-saga-unfolded.html
The man to raise standards? With a soft **** star ex-lover, John Whittingdale is MPs' favourite to set up new conduct watchdog
John Whittingdale has been brought in by Boris Johnson to devise a new MPs' standards system - even though he has fallen foul of the process himself.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10163023/John-Whittingdale-MPs-favourite-set-new-conduct-watchdog.html
STEPHEN GLOVER: The Owen Paterson scandal is dangerous proof this overmighty government is content to twist rules to suit its own grubby interests
STEPHEN GLOVER: The vote was a needless gamble. As a result of Mr Paterson's reprieve, and the tearing up of existing rules, there are now renewed cries of 'Tory sleaze'.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-10162831/STEPHEN-GLOVER-Owen-Paterson-scandal-proof-overmighty-government-content-twist-rules.html
They sacked Angela Richardson, a PPS, yesterday for abstaining on the vote.
She seems to be one of the few with any principles.
She was reappointed this morning after the rapid u-turn.
I dont think Boris has a clue about public opinion.
Owen Paterson today dramatically resigned after Boris Johnson executed an extraordinary U-turn on his decision to block his punishment for lobbying. The former minister declared he is resigning as MP for North Shropshire, saying: 'I will remain a public servant but outside the cruel world of politics.' It came hours after Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg announced the government has dropped plans for a retrospective overhaul of sleaze rules after a huge backlash at the 'politically-motivated' decision. The move meant that a motion on suspending Mr Paterson for 30 days for lobbying rule breaches - as was recommended by the cross-party standards committee - was set to be brought before the House again. The whirlwind reversal came less than 24 hours after the PM smashed convention by ordering his party to oppose the conclusions of the standards watchdog.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10164343/PM-accused-colossal-misjudgement-Owen-Paterson-row.html
The Grand Old Duke of York
He had 10 Thousand men
And when he got his breath back
He had them once again
Only beaten by:-
Mary had a little lamb
It's fleece was bright, bright red
The reason was quite simple
It had a pickaxe through its head
Boris pays the price for sleaze: Tory poll lead plunges FIVE POINTS in wake of Owen Paterson shambles as Nadhim Zahawi admits 'we made a mistake' - with PM's allies telling furious MPs to blame the chief whip
Research by YouGov carried out in the wake of the dramatic Commons vote to suspend the standards system showed the Tory poll lead plunging by five points. The party is now just one point ahead of Labour, after dropping from 39 per cent to 36 per cent in a week, while Keir Starmer has seen a boost to 35 per cent, according to the survey in The Times. Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi tried to cool the growing backlash among MPs this morning, admitting that the government 'made a mistake' in retrospectively tying Owen Paterson's case to wider reforms. Meanwhile, a blame game is in full swing over who was responsible for the meltdown - which culminated last night when Mr Paterson resigned from the Commons after Boris Johnson cut him loose. As well as a wave of anger about the PM's lack of judgment, many Tories have been pointing the finger at chief whip Mark Spencer, saying he should have realised that the tactic would not 'fly'.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10168575/Tory-poll-lead-plunges-FIVE-POINTS-wake-Owen-Paterson-shambles.html