Bryant, whose cross-party committee polices MPs’ conduct, describes an increase in attempts to influence due process in recent months, culminating in Boris Johnson’s extraordinary botched attempt to overturn the verdict against Owen Paterson.
“It’s: ‘Chris. Can I just bend your ear…?’ Absolutely not!” he said. “It has happened quite a lot over the last year, most notably over the Owen Paterson case but also a couple of others. And in the past, my view has been: ‘Right, I’m just going to tell you you’re not allowed to lobby.’ My new version is: the moment anybody lobbies me I will simply report it to the commissioner and then the commissioner can decide what to do with it .”
The commissioner, Kathryn Stone, investigates MPs’ conduct . But it is Bryant’s committee that then decides what sanctions they should face, with MPs given the final say – though this is usually a formality.
Since Johnson’s attempt to clear Paterson opened the way to a maelstrom of allegations about MPs’ financial interests, Bryant has found himself cast as the scourge of the government.
The Labour MP’s fiery speech in the Paterson debate was heard in a silence rare for the House of Commons, as he warned that if MPs followed Johnson’s lead, Paterson’s name would become a byword for wrongdoing.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 13, 2021-Ausgabe von The Guardian.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 13, 2021-Ausgabe von The Guardian.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Palmer and Kane shine for England to step up Euro push
Gareth Southgate decided to make his move.
Welcome to hell Mourinho thrives on discomfort with Fenerbahce move a fitting sanctuary
Towards the end of the second hour, with the time beginning to drag like heat, and even the flies losing the will to live, José Mourinho leans towards the microphone.
China's Shein wins Labour support for London listing
The Labour party has indicated its support for Shein's potential London listing, as the Chinese online fashion company prepares to push the button on the UK's biggest ever stock market flotation.
German floods prove need for urgent climate action, says chancellor
The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said flooding in the south of the country was a call to action on the climate crisis, as the death toll from the disaster rose yesterday and thousands faced another night away from their homes.
Dutch pair face jail in Latvia after helping refugees to reach safety
Two Dutch people are facing prison sentences of up to eight years in Latvia over what they say was an act of compassion to help a group of refugees reach safety, including the sister of one of the pair.
Jury panel selection begins for Hunter Biden trial
Jury selection began yesterday in the federal gun case against the US president's son, Hunter Biden.
Gaza Militant resurgence in north highlights risk of 'forever war', experts say
There may be more Hamas militants in the north of Gaza, supposedly cleared by Israeli forces months ago, than in Rafah, the territory's southernmost city that was described by Israeli officials as the militant Islamist organisation's \"last stronghold\", analysts believe.
Gething faces no-confidence vote as scandals cut through
There was no honeymoon period and precious little breathing room for Vaughan Gething to relish the historic achievement of becoming the first black leader of a European country.
Galleries had 'kneejerk' reaction to Black Lives Matter, says artist
British arts institutions deployed \"kneejerk\" and \"stopgap\" responses in the aftermath of the Black Lives Matter movement as they attempted to avoid criticism for the lack of diversity in their collections, according to the artist Gavin Jantjes.
Zara Aleena's family tortured by thought that her death was preventable
The family of Zara Aleena, who was sexually assaulted and murdered in east London while walking home after a night out, is \"tortured\" by thoughts that her \"death was preventable\" - and that a \"crumbling justice system\" contributed to it.