From cronyism to corruption: Labour steps up criticism after Paterson vote

“I am sick of people skirting around calling this out for what it is: corruption,” Keir Starmer has declared. No longer is Labour using only the terms ‘cronyism’ and ‘sleaze’ in its criticism of the government approach to standards in public life, as it did earlier in the year. Because, on a three-line whip, Tory MPs yesterday blocked the 30-day suspension of a colleague, Owen Paterson, found guilty of an “egregious” breach of lobbying rules. “What have you done to this place?” Rachel Reeves shouted after the vote. Paterson is paid over £110,000 a year – on top of his MP’s salary – to act as a consultant for the two companies that he was found to have wrongly promoted.

Tory MPs voted instead to set up a new committee, chaired by a friend of Paterson and dominated by Conservatives, to look at overhauling the system for scrutinising MPs’ conduct. Cabinet minister Kwasi Kwarteng has gone a step further this morning and suggested the parliamentary standards commissioner should quit. Labour’s Thangam Debbonaire hit back: “Having already ripped up the rules policing MP’s behaviour to protect one of their own, it is appalling that this corrupt government is now trying to bully the standards commissioner out of her job.”

Labour is boycotting the new committee and seizing this opportunity to highlight the worst aspects of this government. But it has been suggested that this is a ‘Westminster bubble’ story and cannot move votes. Is this true? Labour insiders were somewhat regretful after the May 2021 elections, after it became clear that their relentless focus on Tory sleaze had not paid off at the ballot box. A number of Tory MPs were uncomfortable about the vote yesterday, however, and the inboxes of Conservatives are filling with anger.

The danger is that this outrageous conduct will reflect poorly on all of politics and all politicians, deepening public cynicism yet further, rather than sharpening the dividing line between Labour and the Tories. A ‘they’re all the same’ attitude is pervasive among voters – particularly so in the Hartlepool by-election, I found – and this has been more electorally damaging to Labour than the Conservatives in recent years. It goes to the twisted appeal of Boris Johnson for some of the electorate: he may be a liar, but at least he is honest about it.

That the front pages today either ignore the Paterson story or have headlines decrying “MPs” generally, as opposed to Tories specifically, is a major factor. Starmer’s pitch to the country – I’m a decent, normal bloke who would clean up politics – can be a tough sell in this environment.