Minister’s apology to sleaze watchdog
After suggesting Westminster tsar should quit...
THE Business Secretary apologised to Westminster’s sleaze watchdog last night for suggesting she should quit.
Kwasi Kwarteng was accused of ‘bullying’ Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone when he said she should consider her position.
In a humiliating climb down last night, Mr Kwarteng wrote to Miss Stone to ‘apologise for any upset or distress my choice of words may have caused’.
Mr Kwarteng also acknowledged his comments could be seen as having ‘fallen short’ of the ‘high standards’ of the ministerial code, requiring ministers to treat public officials with ‘consideraSky tion and respect’. The letter appeared to be an attempt to head off an inquiry into whether he breached the rules.
It was copied to Lord Geidt, who advises Boris Johnson on the code. The row follows the Government’s botched attempt to tear up Parliament’s antisleaze rules to block the suspension of former minister Owen Paterson for lobbying.
An inquiry by Miss Stone had found him guilty of an ‘egregious’ breach of lobbying rules on behalf of two firms which had paid him £500,000.
The Prime Minister ordered Tory MPs to back the plan and narrowly won the vote.
The plan was dropped the following day after a huge public backlash. But in the meantime, Mr Kwarteng did a series of interviews in which he cast doubt on Miss Stone’s future. He told News: ‘I think it’s difficult to see what the future of the commissioner is, given the fact that we’re reviewing the process, and we’re overturning and trying to reform this whole process, but it’s up to the commissioner to decide her position.’
His comments brought an angry rebuke from Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, who pointed out that parliamentary staff including Miss Stone, have ‘not got the right of reply or the ability to defend themselves’. He added: ‘I’ve got to say please, rein in your thoughts, consider what you are doing to the individuals concerned, they also have to live through this like the rest of us.’ In his letter last night, Mr Kwarteng said: ‘Having seen how my remarks have been interpreted, and reflecting on them, I recognise that in answering the question that was posed to me I should have chosen my words more carefully.’ MPs were last night due to formally overturn the reforms pushed through by the Prime Minister, and endorse the findings against Mr Paterson. Mr Johnson acknowledged on Sunday that he had bungled the issue, telling reporters: ‘Of course, I think things could certainly have been handled better, let me put it that way – by me.’
It comes as Labour launches a bid to ban MPs from acting as paid consultants.
The party will force a vote tomorrow on measures that would bar MPs from holding second jobs as consultants or company directors.
Nadhim Zahawi is facing questions over how much money he made in a second job before becoming a minister.
The Education Secretary is known to have been paid more than £1million by oil firm Gulf Keystone Petroleum while he was an MP. But his total outside earnings are unknown as a loophole means he did not have to declare earnings paid to his consultancy firm.