Boris Johnson's Cabinet Reportedly Scrambling to Patch Up Divisions as PM 'F***ed Up' Paterson Row

Earlier this week, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted that those lawmakers who breach parliamentary rules on second jobs "should be punished" and face sanctions.

British government ministers have conducted a five-hour meeting purportedly to hammer out their differences following the Paterson scandal which saw Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week attempt to stop the suspension of an MP accused of breaching lobbying rules.

The Daily Mail reported that apart from focusing on the "Levelling Up" agenda, the cabinet meeting also addressed how to tackle increasing criticism about lawmakers' second jobs and cronyism among MPs.

The extensive talks were held shortly after Chancellor Rishi Sunak hinted at cabinet differences over the Paterson row, saying: "Reflecting over recent events – I think for us as a government, it's fair to say that we need to do better than we did last week, and we know that".

He claimed that "people will have different motivations for doing what they do, the pay is set by an independent body, that's absolutely right".

"And with regard to second jobs, there's an independent process that we have that's set by parliament that governs all of those things. And it's absolutely right that that process is followed to the letter", the chancellor added.

Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak arrives at Broadcasting House to take part in an interview on BBC's 'The Andrew Marr Show', in London, Britain, October 24, 2021

© REUTERS / PETER NICHOLLS

He did not directly refer to the cases of Owen Paterson or former Attorney General Geoffrey Cox, who reportedly earned over £5.5 million ($7.3 million) "moonlighting" for a tax haven in the Caribbean that allowed him to continue to vote remotely in parliament.

The Daily Mail quoted an unnamed ally of Sunak as saying that he perceived last week's developments as "a mistake" and he believed "that point needs to be made by someone in the cabinet".

An unnamed No 10 source was cited by the newspaper as downplaying the purported cabinet divisions over the Tory "sleaze" row. According to the insider, "the PM [Johnson] has said that it is vital MPs focus on their constituents and obey the rules. He thinks those who break the rules should be punished. We are all agreed on this".

Another government source, however, claimed that Boris Johnson had "f***ed up" and that his attempt to block Paterson's suspension looked "totally crooked".

The Daily Mail also cited a former cabinet minister as describing last week's events as "a hideous nightmare" that is "dirtying us all".

"When we made him PM we knew there would be periods of chaos but that was a price worth paying to defeat Corbyn and get Brexit done. Those two tasks are completed now and his situation is more perilous than people think", the minister, who spoke on condition of anonymity, asserted in a nod to Johnson.

Paterson Scandal

The developments unfold amid a scandal surrounding embattled Conservative lawmaker Owen Paterson, who was earlier accused of "repeatedly" breaking the House of Commons' lobbying rules over his paid consultancy work on behalf of two companies that earned him more than £500,000 ($682,882).

The British government faced a backlash after it tried to prevent the 30-day suspension imposed by Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone on Paterson by winning a vote in favour of the disgraced MP last week.

Harsh criticism from opposition MPs and some Tories, however, prompted the government to reverse its decision on Paterson's suspension, followed by the lawmaker himself announcing his resignation.

The UK media cited unnamed senior Tory sources as saying that the situation raises serious questions about Johnson's judgment and leaves the entire Conservative Party tarnished by "sleaze".