As he quits, MP blames ‘cruel world of politics’
A HUMILIATED Owen Paterson quit as an MP yesterday, blaming the ‘cruel world of politics’ for his downfall.
Rather than face suspension from the Commons and the threat of a by-election, Mr Paterson said he had taken the ‘painful decision’ to resign as MP for north Shropshire.
It came after Boris Johnson performed a dramatic U-turn on plans to rip up the parliamentary standards system to spare Mr Paterson his punishment for an ‘egregious’ breach of lobbying rules.
The Prime Minister is said to have been dismayed by an unrepentant interview given by the former Cabinet minister in the wake of Wednesday’s vote in which he said he ‘wouldn’t hesitate’ to repeat his actions.
A senior Tory source branded the interview ‘unhelpful’, adding: ‘We were hoping for some contrition.’
Within hours, Mr Johnson decided to halt his plans, effectively abandoning Mr Paterson to his fate.
The ex-minister was said to have learned of the PM’s about-face in a telephone call from a BBC journalist while he was out shopping in a supermarket yesterday morning.
By early afternoon, he announced he would resign rather than face the prospect of MPs voting through his suspension early next week.
But in a statement yesterday, Mr Paterson could not resist another protestation of his innocence and a final broadside against the parliamentary
‘Become a political football’
anti-sleaze watchdog that condemned him.
he said the last few days had been ‘intolerable’ for him and his family – and that he had decided to walk away ‘for my sake as well as theirs’.
The former minister again claimed he was ‘totally innocent’ but would be unable to clear his name ‘under the current system’.
Mr Paterson, who has claimed the ‘biased’ way the inquiry was carried out was a major factor in the suicide of his wife Rose last year, also said that he did not want her memory ‘to become a political football’.
his resignation will trigger a by-election in the safe Tory seat he has held for 24 years.
In his statement yesterday afternoon, Mr Paterson said the past two years – during which he has been under investigation – had been an ‘indescribable nightmare for my family and me’.
‘My integrity, which I hold very dear, has been repeatedly and publicly questioned. 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.’
In a report published last week, Mr Paterson was found to have lobbied ministers and officials for two companies – Randox and Lynn’s Country Foods – who paid him more than £100,000 a year.
he claimed he was trying to protect the nation’s health by promoting the companies’ testing technology to ministers and raising concerns over another food producer. But the inquiry by Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Kathryn Stone ruled he had used his position as an MP to secure benefits for the firms.
The Committee on Standards recommended Mr Paterson be suspended from the Commons for 30 sitting days, but his allies sought to block the sanction by overhauling the standards system instead.
MPs narrowly approved the plan on Wednesday, but in doing so sparked a furious backlash.
Mr Paterson said he would ‘remain a public servant but outside the cruel world of politics’. he added: ‘I intend to devote myself to public service in whatever ways I can but especially in the world of suicide prevention.’ The 65-yearold was elected as an MP in 1997, and held two Cabinet posts under David Cameron – first as northern Ireland secretary and then environment secretary.
he lost his Cabinet job in 2014, and the following year took up a role at Randox. Mr Paterson’s office last night declined to say if he was still working for Randox and Lynn’s.
Standards committee chairman Chris Bryant said Mr Paterson was right to resign.
he added: ‘The last few days have been regrettable and could all have been avoided if the proper processes were followed all along.
‘Ultimately, Mr Paterson made the right decision in resigning.’