Boris Johnson Tells MPs 'Mistake' Was Made Over Owen Paterson Affair But Stops Short of Apology

Owen Paterson resigned earlier this month and triggered a by-election in his North Shropshire constituency which will take place next month. But the row over lobbying and second jobs for MPs rumbles on.

Boris Johnson has told a committee of MPs a “mistake” was made by his government over the Owen Paterson affair.

Mr Johnson said: “It was a mistake two weeks ago to conflate the very sad and difficult case of a particular colleague [Paterson] and the need for…reform and improvement of the system.”

Labour MP Chris Bryant asked the prime minister if he accepted Mr Paterson was guilty of what he was accused of by the standards commissioner.

Mr Johnson said: "There is no question he had fallen foul of the rules of paid advocacy."

Mr Bryant then said what Paterson had done was "corruption" and he asked the prime minister if his actions had not "tarred (all MPs) with the same brush."

Mr Johnson replied: “Paid advocacy and lobbying is against the rules and those guilty should be properly penalised. The intention was not to exonerate anybody but to work in a cross-party way to improve the system.”

Mr Johnson is addressing the Liaison Committee, which is comprised of the chairs of all House of Commons select committees and Mr Johnson answered questions on issues such as COVOD-19, COP26, violence against women and girls, and the recent Budget and Spending Review.

Boris Johnson being forced to eat a whole dinner table of humble pie in front of the Liaison Committee on Paterson-gate. Has said it was "a mistake" or he was "mistaken" over it 4 times now. Adds: "Do I regret it? Yes I certainly do”.

— Tom Newton Dunn (@tnewtondunn) November 17, 2021

William Wragg, a Conservative MP, asked the prime minister if he felt the recommendations made by Nigel Boardman following the Greensill Capital affair should be legally binding.

Mr Johnson said the government was considering the Boardman report and would report back to Parliament in due course.

The prime minister has now told the Speaker of Parliament, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, he supports plans to ban MPs from taking second jobs as paid consultants and advisers.

FILE PHOTO: Owen Paterson is pictured outside the Cabinet Office in London

© REUTERS / HANNAH MCKAY / FILE PHOTO: Owen Paterson is pictured outside the Cabinet Office in London

"It is imperative that we put beyond doubt the reputation of the House of Commons by ensuring the rules which apply to MPs are up to date, effective and appropriately rigorous," Mr Johnson said in the letter.

But he has not apologised.

Mr Johnson also denied he had told the Business Secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, to demand the resignation of the independent commissioner for parliamentary standards, Kathryn Stone.

Earlier the leader of the opposition Labour Party, Sir Keir Starmer, has called Mr Johnson a “coward” for refusing to apologise to Parliament.

I have no hestitation in saying that Boris Johnson's performance in the House today at PMQs was a disgrace.

— Iain Dale ⚒️ (@IainDale) November 17, 2021

Starmer claimed Mr Johnson had "led his troops through the sewers and he can't even say sorry."

During his Liaison Committee appearance Mr Johnson was also asked about the Sarah Everard case and the wider issue of violence against women and girls.

Wayne Couzens (pink) and Sarah Everard (yellow) caught on camera

© Photo : Metropolitan Police / Everard fake arrest

The prime minister said the government was working to double the number of rape convictions and increase Stalking Protection Orders, as well as investing in better streetlighting and more female police officers.

But he added: "I'm not going to pretend that we are making the progress that I would like. But it's an absolute priority for the government."

Tory MP Caroline Nokes asked him whether the upcoming Online Harms Bill would include measures to prevent people like Wayne Couzens accessing "extreme violent, degrading pornography" which feed their warped minds.

Mr Johnson said he hoped it would and he said the "online giants" like Google needed to recognise it was their responsibility and they were effectively "publishers".