Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

How very true. And as a bonus, if he feels that he has been misjudged in relation to his conduct in the future, he will have the right of appeal.

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

I’m not sure why he would appeal his own resignation in disgrace.

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

It's a lovely theory but one that bears little resemblance to constitutional reality.

For example, Zac Goldsmith gets kicked out from his Richmond Park constituency via the ballot box. What happens next? Johnson gives him a peerage and retains him as a Minister. Goldsmith happens to provide Johnson with free holidays at his £25k-a-night family house in Spain.

So Goldsmith stays in government to become yet another unelected official we cannot evict via the ballot box.

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

I said his conduct in the future. Sadly, you seem to have problems understanding that word ‘future’, jfman.

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

I'd prefer not to let them forget we know what they are, the selfservatives

Don't think so, they don't get to try and circumvent the rules and then change the subject just because they got caught out

I wonder why you've brought her up now and not before, was it for a bit of deflection and whataboutery rather than her unsavory character and crimes?

You think a man of his talents would make this money in the private sector then?

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

Your implication was that he would benefit from being corrupt in the private sector in that he would have an appeal process.

As I correctly said I’m not sure resigning in disgrace then appealing is the most solid grounds for an employment tribunal.

I am however hugely entertained by this cruel world of politics narrative being pushed. Yes, it’s a cruel world that allows you to trouser half a million quid moonlighting for 11 days a year serving corporate interests instead of your constituents.

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

Hold on!

The Government is abandoning the new process MPs voted for only yesterday?

This clearly is a slap in the face for the Sovereignty of our Parliament, blatantly ignoring the will of our elected representatives.

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

Of course you dont, you will never see anything unless it suits your hatred of said government.

As I see it, he broke some rules, at some point, and got caught.
For some bizarre reason, a few of his allies tried to get him off the hook in an entirely dumb way.
Unsurprisingly, it totally backfired on them, and they all ended up looking very stupid and foolish.
It all seems entirely unnecessary, they should have just left him to do his original (30 day ?) suspension.

Is this part of some nefarious dastardly plot ? Of course its not.
To think this part of some grand scheme is just plain ridiculous.

Will any of this whole thing actually affect my daily life at all ? No it wont, so I really dont care.
Just another day of haters hating, using the obvious ammunition stupidly fed to them in this case.

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

Hatred is quite a strong word. Just because I didn’t vote for them doesn’t exempt me from commenting on their routine incompetence. A nefarious, dastardly plot sounds like an apt description from where I sit. I think the fact it was such an obviously bad idea - condemned almost universally on this forum except the usual one or two who downplay it - yet Ministers went out on television to stand up for it only underlines the fact they genuinely and bizarrely believed they could have got away with it playing the Brexit card.

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

The only plot here seems to be the one you have clearly lost.

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

No - that was your misinterpretation.

If you are accused of something and you feel that the decision to discipline you was made following a shoddy investigation which relied on incorrect evidence, in any other area of life, you would have the right of appeal.

That is all I am arguing here. I am not judging his behaviour.

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

Both the standards commissioner and the standards committee have to agree that an MPs conduct warrants formal action, it's not jut the standards commissioner by themselves
https://publications.parliament.uk/p...dTextAnchor058

At both stages of that investigation, the MP in question is given the opportunity to respond.

---------- Post added at 08:32 ---------- Previous post was at 08:25 ----------

This sudden need for an extra appeal step may have value, but you can't ditch an existing process before deciding what the new one is.

---------- Post added at 08:42 ---------- Previous post was at 08:32 ----------

And if you are going to add new appeals processes, you should also make sure that any final decision is properly enforced and can't be ignored

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...ed-review-says

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

It is Owen Paterson’s argument that the Investigating Committee got its facts wrong and he was not, in fact, given the ability to correct them. He says he has not been listened to. Given that this point has been made, don’t you think that there should be a pause to consider whether there is a need to establish an appeal right?

This whole thing has been politicised and blown up out of all proportion. The belief (or suggestion) is that this is a ruse to let him off the hook, but actually, it is not. It’s about justice - the same kind of justice we give in all other areas of British life. An appeal would not necessarily reduce the penalty or quash the decision. However, it would at least give him the proper opportunity to let him have his say.

Re: Owen Paterson: Anger as Tory MP avoids suspension in rule shake-up
 

Old Boy, your sense of humour never lets you down. :D