Embattled British lawmaker resigns in wake of corruption scandal

By Karim El-Bar

LONDON (AA) – Embattled British lawmaker Owen Paterson resigned from parliament Thursday following a hugely controversial vote to delay his suspension after he was found guilty of “egregious” breaches of lobbying rules.

In a statement, Paterson maintained his innocence, saying “I will remain a public servant but outside the cruel world of politics.”

His resignation means there will now be a by-election for his North Shropshire seat late this year or early next year.

The Conservatives had a majority of over 20,000 in Paterson’s seat at the last general election. Under normal circumstances, this would indicate the ruling party would be likely to hold it, but the political repercussions of the government’s attempt to save Paterson could change the dynamic.

Yesterday, Britain’s ruling Conservative Party, in an unprecedented move, voted to overhaul the parliamentary standards system after it found Paterson, a former Conservative Cabinet minister, guilty of breaching lobbying rules and called for his suspension from parliament. The vote meant he would not have been immediately suspended.

The move caused huge controversy in Britain. The House of Commons, the lower chamber of the British parliament, has never voted against disciplinary action against an MP in the modern era.

Paterson, a lawmaker with Britain’s ruling Conservatives for 24 years, was found to have broken lobbying rules on over a dozen separate occasions while he was a paid consultant with health tech firm Randox and meat producer Lynn's Country Foods, who together paid him over £100,000 a year. This was in addition to his £88,000 salary as an MP.

The parliamentary watchdog report said: “The committee found that Mr. Paterson’s actions were an egregious case of paid advocacy, that he repeatedly used his privileged position to benefit two companies for whom he was a paid consultant, and that this has brought the House (of Commons) into disrepute.”

Paterson’s decision to resign today came after a government U-turn earlier in the day. After widespread outrage, the government said it would give the House of Commons another chance to vote on Paterson’s suspension and separate his personal situation from the wider question of whether to overhaul the current parliamentary standards system.

Local media reported that Paterson was not notified in advance by the government that it had decided to reverse yesterday’s vote.

“The last two years have been an indescribable nightmare for my family and me. My integrity, which I hold very dear, has been repeatedly and publicly questioned,” Paterson said in a statement.

“I maintain that I am totally innocent of what I have been accused of and I acted at all times in the interests of public health and safety. I, my family and those closest to me know the same. I am unable to clear my name under the current system.”

He accused MPs of mocking his wife’s suicide, which he linked to the investigation into him.

“The last few days have been intolerable for us. Worst of all was seeing people, including MPs, publicly mock and deride Rose’s death and belittle our pain. My children have therefore asked me to leave politics altogether, for my sake as well as theirs. I agree with them. I do not want my wife’s memory and reputation to become a political football,” he said.

“I will remain a public servant but outside the cruel world of politics. I intend to devote myself to public service in whatever ways I can, but especially in the world of suicide prevention.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement that "I'm very sad that Parliament will lose the services of Owen Paterson.”

"He had a distinguished career serving in two Cabinet positions, and above all he has been a voice for freedom, for free markets and free trade and free societies, and he was an early and powerful champion of Brexit.

"I know this must have been a very difficult decision, but I can understand why, after the tragic circumstances in which he lost his beloved wife Rose, he has decided to put his family first."

Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, said the vote yesterday was “a truly damning indictment of this prime minister and the corrupt government he leads."

"Boris Johnson must now apologize to the entire country for this grubby attempt to cover up for the misdemeanor of his friend. This isn't the first time he's done this, but it must be the last.

"And Boris Johnson must explain how he intends to fix the immense harm he has done to confidence in the probity of him and his MPs.”