Disgraced MP gives up consultancy roles
OWEN PATERSON has announced that he has dropped his consultancy work a day after quitting the House of Commons over a lobbying row.
Mr Paterson, who served as the MP for North Shropshire for 24 years, stepped down on Thursday following a backlash to a vote that postponed his suspension from Parliament.
His private sector work involved him being a paid consultant for healthcare innovation company Randox and the processed meat firm Lynn’s Country Foods.
Mr Paterson tweeted yesterday: “Thank you to the many people who have sent their kind wishes to me and my family this week.
“At this difficult time, I will be stepping aside from my current consultancy work to focus on my family and suicide prevention.”
The Commons’ standards committee found that Mr Paterson, 64, had broken lobbying rules by taking £500,000 from the two companies while seeking to influence Government policy. It had recommended his suspension from the Commons for six weeks.
An amendment tabled by Dame Andrea Leadsom on Wednesday looked to have saved Mr Paterson from his suspension and set into motion an overhaul of the system for scrutinising MPS.
However, 13 Tory MPS voted against the amendment amid accusations of sleaze by the opposition. Downing Street retreated on plans to reform the committee the following day.
Mr Paterson said in a statement on Thursday that the “cruel world of politics” had prompted his decision to leave the Commons, as he insisted he was “totally innocent”.
He said the investigation into his conduct was an “indescribable nightmare” and said his integrity “has been repeatedly and publicly questioned”.
“Far, far worse than having my honesty questioned was, of course, the suicide of my beloved and wonderful wife, Rose,” Mr Paterson added.
His work on suicide prevention includes his charity, The Rose Paterson Trust, named after his wife following her death aged 63 in June 2020.
‘I will be stepping aside from my current consultancy work to focus on my family and suicide prevention’