8th November 2021: A Week in Parliament

Owen Patterson

The Owen Patterson affair has brought the Tories into disrepute, but by extension, all MPs end up being tarred by the same brush. He has had difficult personal circumstances to deal with in terms of his wife committing suicide. I know people who have had to deal with the suicide of family members and how difficult it is for them to come to terms with things and closure is almost impossible. Despite the difficult emotions he must have to manage, I think it terrible for him to blame his wife’s suicide on the investigation into his behaviour without acknowledging he was the cause of the inquiry. He was being paid £100,000 a year from two companies who he then lobbied the Government on for rule changes to benefit these companies without declaring his own interest. The cross-party Standards Committee agreed unanimously that it was the worst case of paid lobbying to have been uncovered and that he should be suspended from Parliament for 30 days. The Tories then rallied to overcome the decision. Patterson’s response? Instead of being graceful, and requesting privacy, he stated he would “do it all again”. No remorse. We will never know why the Prime Minister allegedly did a u-turn but after the Tories voted to protect corruption, they then decided after all that this was corruption, and that Patterson should have been punished. Patterson resigning as an MP is the correct outcome but the whole saga in Parliament proves, without a shadow of doubt, the Tories operate on a “one rule for you and one rule for us” policy. I hope Patterson finds inner peace given the tragedy of his wife but blaming “cruel politics” for making him resign is not the best start for him going forward.

House of Lords Appointments

An investigation by Opendemocracy and the Sunday Times has revealed that anyone who has donated £3m to the Tory party in the last 15 years has been appointed to the House of Lords. This means there is an unwritten rule that if you donate enough money to the party, you will become a lifelong peer and get to become a lawmaker. For many people that becomes a shrewd investment. We know that Tony Blair survived the “cash for honours” inquiry scandal because these things are hard to prove when undertaken through clandestine chats or a nudge-nudge basis. However, it is clear that both Tories and Labour have manipulated the system. And while this latest scandal is breaking, Sir Kier Starmer says Labour won’t abolish the House of Lords. Why would he take such a stance? This really needs to be answered.

COP26

I was privileged to attend COP26 on Energy Day. It was amazing to see the extent of the operations and speak to people from all over the world. It was particularly insightful speaking to those who will be the most affected by climate change but whose countries have done little to cause climate change. The warmth [no pun intended] for Scotland and the steps we are taking was also a welcome takeaway.