LONDON, Nov 4 — Britain’s ruling Conservatives on Wednesday triggered outrage from opposition parties and anti-corruption campaigners by voting against suspending a colleague found to have committed an "egregious” breach of lobbying rules.

In an unprecedented move, lawmakers from Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s party opted instead to initiate their own overhaul of the parliament’s internal disciplinary process.

It comes after a raft of sleaze and cronyism claims against the government, including over the awarding of Covid contracts, as well as multiple probes into Johnson’s own behaviour by the same watchdog.

The row erupted after a cross-party standards watchdog recommended a six-week ban from parliament for MP Owen Paterson.

The former environment secretary was found to have repeatedly lobbied ministers and officials for two companies paying him more than £100,000 (RM570,000) a year.

But Paterson, who if suspended could have faced recall proceedings, has angrily denied the findings against him and claimed the investigation was unfairly conducted.

He has also argued the manner in which it was carried out had played a "major role” in his wife’s suicide last year.

‘Shame’

When the case came before MPs in the House of Commons on Wednesday, the government broke with convention and ordered Conservative MPs not only to reject the proposed ban but also to support the amendment overhauling the standards watchdog system.

Under the newly approved changes, a Conservative-majority committee led by former culture secretary John Whittingdale will now explore modifying it to include an appeals process, among other things.

The main opposition Labour party promptly vowed to boycott the new committee and assailed the government over the issue. 

"It’s one rule for them, one rule for the rest of us,” Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said during weekly prime minister’s questions.

She accused Johnson’s party of giving "a green light to corruption” as Labour MPs shouted "shame” at their Tory counterparts following the vote.

Johnson, who voted for the amendment, said paid lobbying in parliament is "wrong” but insisted "that is not the issue in this case or this vote that is before us”.

Following the fiery 90-minute debate and votes, Paterson said: "All I have ever asked is to have the opportunity to make my case through a fair process. 

"The decision today in Parliament means that I will now have that opportunity. After two years of hell, I now have the opportunity to clear my name.”

But Daniel Bruce, chief executive of anti-corruption campaigners Transparency International UK, called the moves "hugely damaging for trust in our democracy and the rule of law”.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Kathryn Stone, has previously probed Johnson’s conduct over several matters, including a controversial trip to the privately-owned island of Mustique with his then fiancee Carrie Symonds.

She cleared him in July of breaching a lawmakers’ code of conduct but criticised his handling of the issue. — AFP