U-turn: British government votes to protect 'sleazy' MP Owen Paterson from suspension
Owen William Paterson
The British government has voted to protect ''sleazy'' MP Owen Paterson from being suspended in an embarrassing U-turn.
Paterson was facing a 30 days suspension by the House of Commons for breaching rules on lobbying, which paid him nearly three times his annual salary.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is being accused of ''staggering hypocrisy'' for letting the former minister off the hook.
He was already facing criticism due to his decision of flying in a private jet during his return from the COP26 climate summit.
Downing Street defended Johnson's decision to fly back to London rather than take the train, pleading time constraints and saying the carbon emissions were offset.
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Now, the government's plan to overhaul the system for combating parliamentary corruption faced damning headlines in the country.
According to Paterson, ''The last two years have been an indescribable nightmare for my family and me.''
''I maintain that I am totally innocent of what I have been accused of.''
Caroline Lucas, Britain's only Green MP said ''They started the week lecturing the world on going green while backing new oil and gas in the North Sea, and now they're talking of 'due process' while voting to help one of their own escape punishment.''
''This is a 'do as I say, not as I do' government whose credibility in both Britain and abroad is sinking fast,'' she said.
Meanwhile, Conservative lawmaker Mark Harper, who rebelled against his party to oppose the plans, said ''This is one of the most unedifying episodes I have seen in my 16 years as a Member of Parliament.''
The opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer accused the government of corruption and said Johnson was "leading his troops through the sewer".
"Boris Johnson must now apologise to the entire country for this grubby attempt to cover up for the misdemeanour of his friend," Starmer said. "This isn't the first time he's done this but it must be the last."
The UK government went into COP26 accused of double standards on another front, after cutting its budget for foreign aid, having spent gargantuan sums on the coronavirus pandemic.
(With inputs from agencies)