MPs have endorsed Boris Johnson’s motion to curb member’s interests outside of Westminster following Owen Paterson’s breach of parliamentary rules.
Paterson was found in breach of parliamentary standards after it emerged he had been lobbying for companies paying him over £100,000 a year.
The Prime Minister’s motion came as an unexpected U-turn, following his initial decision to abolish the independent system investigating the case. This initial decision had caused well over 100 of his own MPs to rebel.
Labour claim that the proposals are a “watering down” of their own motion to ban MPs from paid political consultancy, which faced defeat in the House of Commons by 282 votes to 231.
Boris Johnson’s amendment passed by 297 votes to zero, following Labour and other opposition MPs’ decision not to vote against the bill.
The amendment was met with criticism, with Labour claiming that their original motion has been made effectively non-binding, and Tory backbenchers expressing concern at the scope of such a ban and which roles will be affected.
Sir Keir Starmer said his party would “press on” with their own plans for curbing MPs’ outside earnings and was “not prepared to have them watered down”.
Labour remains committed to engaging in cross-party discussions for an overhaul of current rules. Their motion said MPs should be banned from holding second jobs involving acting as a parliamentary strategist, adviser or consultant.
The motion also required the Committee on Standards to develop plans to implement this move and report back to the Commons by the end of January.
Four Conservative MPs – Peter Bone, Philip Hollobone, Nigel Mills and Dan Poulter – were listed as voting in favour of the Labour motion as they rebelled against the government.
Contrary to Labour’s motion, the government amendment failed to endorse the findings of a 2018 report on MPs’ second jobs from the independent Committee on Standards in Public Life.
Their amendment said the report – and its recommendation of a consultancy ban – formed the “basis of a viable approach which could command the confidence of parliamentarians and the public” and believed that its recommendations “should be taken forward”.
Conservative MP, Nigel Mills admits the changes have been needed “for a long while”, but expresses the government must be “careful that we get this right,” calling for “fair, consistent and enforceable” rules.
