The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Plans to ban paid consultancy work approved by MPs
Agovernment plan to ban paid consultancy work has been approved by MPs after the Commons voted through what has been called “watereddown” proposals to improve standards in politics.
MPs voted down Labour’s plans to introduce new rules to curb their outside business interests, something which has increased tensions between Boris Johnson and Tory backbenchers.
Labour’s proposals called for a ban on “any paid work to provide services as a parliamentary strategist, adviser or consultant”.
Crucially, it also included provisions requiring the Commons Standards Committee to come forward with proposals to implement the ban and guaranteeing time on the floor of the House for MPs to debate and vote on them.
In contrast, the more vaguely-worded government amendment simply described the consultancy ban as “the basis of a viable approach” and supports the work of the Standards Committee to update the MPs’ code of conduct.
Labour’s motion was rejected by 282 votes to 231, a majority of 51, while the government’s amendment on standards was approved by 297 votes to zero.
No Labour MPs backed the amendment, but the division list showed four Conservative MPs rebelled to support Labour’s motion – Peter Bone (Wellingborough), Philip Hollobone (Kettering), Nigel Mills (Amber Valley), and Dan Poulter (Central Suffolk and North Ipswich).
Speaking after the vote, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “We put forward a plan of action to clean up politics and strengthen standards in politics.
“And, if you can believe it, after two weeks of Tory sleaze and corruption, the prime minister whipped his MPs against that plan of action, and, frankly, he just doesn’t get it.
“We are not going to back down from these proposals, we’re not prepared to have them watered down, so we will press on with them, but it is unbelievable.”
Under the government’s proposals, set out in a letter to Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, rules would be updated to include two key recommendations from the Committee on Standards in Public Life’s report on MPs’ outside interests from 2018.
These include changing the code of conduct so that any outside work should be “within reasonable limits” and “not prevent them from fully carrying out” their duties.
Those who failed to comply should be “investigated and appropriately punished”.
The changes would also ban MPs from accepting paid work as a parliamentary strategist, adviser or consultant, and from accepting payment or offers of employment to act as political consultants.
A government spokesperson said: “The House of Commons has tonight voted to update the Code of Conduct for MPs.
“This means that MPs will be banned from acting as paid political consultants or lobbyists and that MPs are always prioritising their constituents.
“This will strengthen our parliamentary system and we will work on a crossparty basis to achieve this.”
However, the move is likely to deepen tensions between Tory MPs, some of whom are furious at attempts to curb their outside earnings.
Earlier, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, treasurer of the 1922 Committee, said there was “dissatisfaction” with the prime minister in the Tory ranks.
Sir Keir said: “I’ve been really struck by how many Tory MPs seem to have lost faith and confidence in the prime minister.
“It was noticeable at Prime Minister’s Questions today that their benches were with many gaps, many MPs hadn’t turned up to support him.”
However, Mr Johnson was greeted at the 1922 Committee of backbench MPs yesterday evening, prior to the vote, to loud banging on the tables in approval.
It was reported that he told MPs “on a clear road I crashed the car into a ditch” in the saga surrounding former Tory MP Owen Paterson, who was found to have breached lobbying rules.
Earlier yesterday, Mr Johnson admitted the initial effort to shield Mr Paterson from immediate suspension to enable a review of his case and the disciplinary process had been an error.
He quit as an MP rather than face a vote on his suspension.