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Regional secretary with the National Education Union
The Paterson affair: the ugly head of Old Corruption rears?
Boris Johnson’s attempt to save a Tory MP by trying to change the rules against corrupt behaviour brings to mind the the pre-reformed Parliament of the 1800s when the the uneven distribution of favours nearly led to revolution
Owen Paterson, who has now resigned after the government's bid to shield him from the consequences of paid lobbying failed

THERE was rightly a furore after Tory MPs (for the most part) voted not to carry through the suspension of Tory MP Owen Paterson from Parliament (Paterson himself voted against his suspension) for breaching lobbying rules — a decision which Keir Starmer correctly labelled “corruption.”

MPs have expected standards of behaviour and an independent committee found that Paterson had broken them.

Johnson’s response was not to back the committee but to have a look and see if rules could be changed to allow corrupt dealings.

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