Friday, November 05, 2021
Foot in mouth
There must be a lot of Tory MPs regretting some of the things they said and the way they voted over the Owen Paterson sanction after the Prime Minister's screeching u-turn in the face of overwhelming publc opinion that he and his government are mired in fouk-smelling sleaze. Not least amongst these will be Mr. Paterson himself, who apparently discovered that he had been hung-out to dry during a telephone conversation with a journalist while in a supermarket. He has subsequently resigned his seat, prompting a by-election in true-blue Shropshire.
However, the MP who may regret his actions the most, is business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng’s who, mistaking a vote in the House of Commons for some tribal battles, took triumphalism too far and publicly speculated about the future of parliament’s standards watchdog.
As the Guardian reports, Mr Kwarteng suggested that Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Kathryn Stone should “consider her position” in the wake of the Owen Paterson debacle:
Asked whether Ms Stone should resign on Thursday morning – hours before an astonishing U-turn in the government’ position – Mr Kwarteng said: “To consider her position is a natural thing.”
The minister told Sky 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.”
This statement did nothing to suggest that natural justice was the prime motivator of the 250 MPs who voted to save Mr Paterson, implying instead that there may well be some kind of vendetta involved.
However, the MP who may regret his actions the most, is business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng’s who, mistaking a vote in the House of Commons for some tribal battles, took triumphalism too far and publicly speculated about the future of parliament’s standards watchdog.
As the Guardian reports, Mr Kwarteng suggested that Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Kathryn Stone should “consider her position” in the wake of the Owen Paterson debacle:
Asked whether Ms Stone should resign on Thursday morning – hours before an astonishing U-turn in the government’ position – Mr Kwarteng said: “To consider her position is a natural thing.”
The minister told Sky 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.”
This statement did nothing to suggest that natural justice was the prime motivator of the 250 MPs who voted to save Mr Paterson, implying instead that there may well be some kind of vendetta involved.
As a result Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has written to Boris Johnson’s ethics adviser calling for an investigation into his comments, claiming they may have breached the ministerial code – as well as being “a rotten way for anybody to behave”:
In a letter to Lord Geidt, Ms Rayner suggested Mr Kwarteng’s comments amounted to bullying. “For the business secretary to use this entirely corrupt process to bully the independent Parliamentary Commissioner is disgusting.”
“This type of behaviour has no place in our democracy. A cabinet minister publicly threatening the position of a member of staff who serves the Houses of Parliament and upholds our democratic processes is a fundamental breach of the ministerial Code.”
She suggested Mr Kwarteng could be in breach of a section of the code which requires ministers to “treat all those with whom they come into contact with consideration and respect” and for working relationships to be “proper and appropriate”.
Earlier, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle rebuked Mr Kwarteng. “I do appeal to members - whether they are secretary of state or whoever – please, staff members of this House shouldn’t be named, they’ve not got the right of reply or the ability to defend themselves.”
We should leave the last word on this to another government minister, however. When asked about Mr Kwarteng’s comments, fellow cabinet minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “Kathryn Stone works … for parliament. It’s up to parliament how that relationship works.” Surely Mr Kwarteng knew that.
In a letter to Lord Geidt, Ms Rayner suggested Mr Kwarteng’s comments amounted to bullying. “For the business secretary to use this entirely corrupt process to bully the independent Parliamentary Commissioner is disgusting.”
“This type of behaviour has no place in our democracy. A cabinet minister publicly threatening the position of a member of staff who serves the Houses of Parliament and upholds our democratic processes is a fundamental breach of the ministerial Code.”
She suggested Mr Kwarteng could be in breach of a section of the code which requires ministers to “treat all those with whom they come into contact with consideration and respect” and for working relationships to be “proper and appropriate”.
Earlier, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle rebuked Mr Kwarteng. “I do appeal to members - whether they are secretary of state or whoever – please, staff members of this House shouldn’t be named, they’ve not got the right of reply or the ability to defend themselves.”
We should leave the last word on this to another government minister, however. When asked about Mr Kwarteng’s comments, fellow cabinet minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “Kathryn Stone works … for parliament. It’s up to parliament how that relationship works.” Surely Mr Kwarteng knew that.
