Owen Paterson news live: Boris Johnson U-turns with new vote on suspending MP and scrapping sleaze overhaul

A group of 22 Conservative MPs who voted for the government’s botched overhaul of parliament’s disciplinary process have been investigated by the conduct watchdog, writes Adam Forrest.

Boris Johnson’s government was forced into an extraordinary U-turn over controversial plans to rip up the standards system after widespread outrage.

Owen Paterson, the former Tory minister who was the focus of yesterday’s standards vote, is said to have had no idea Downing Street was performing a U-turn on the decision to delay his immediate suspension.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme, the broadcaster’s political editor Laura Kuenssberg said the MP was in a supermarket when he got the news – on a phone call from a BBC journalist.

MPs had voted 250 to 232 in favour of an amendment to the Commons standards procedure, which would have seen a new committee – with a Tory majority – decide Mr Paterson’s fate. However, ministers were forced to backtrack following reprisal from inside and outside Westminster.

Vandals painted the slogan “Tory sleaze” on the outside of a Conservative MP’s constituency office after he backed yesterday’s amendment on standards investigations.

Peter Bone said it had been “very worrying for the staff”.

He told the PA news agency: “When we get to the situation where property can be vandalised and people can be threatened, then there is something gone very wrong with our democracy.

“Of course, these thugs who attacked my property – and we don’t know who they are – they don’t put an alternative case and argue for that to be put forward or event stand against me for the seat of Wellingborough. They just use violence and intimidation.

“Well, I can tell them flat that violence and intimidation is not going to change the way I vote on issues. It is just totally unacceptable.”

Additional reporting by PA Media

Keir Starmer has been discussing the government’s latest sleaze scandal on Jeremy Vine’s BBC Radio 2 show, saying it is “as dodgy” an incident as he has seen in Westminster in six years.

The Labour leader rubbished the claim, made by some Tories yesterday, that there was no right for MPs to appeal the findings of a standards report.

“The independent commissioner comes to a decision and then there is an appeal to the standards committee,” he said. “And that appeal involves that individual, Owen Paterson, being able to put in, with his lawyers, his appeal points in writing and also to make his case in person which he did. So he’s been through the appeal.”

Sir Keir added he had “been six years in politics and many years as a lawyer”, and that he had “heard some really, really dodgy defences [but] that is as dodgy as they come”.

He also insisted his party will not get involved in cross-party talks on proposals to reform the standards system, as suggested today by Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg.

“What the government wants to do is get rid of the independent commissioner and replace it with a group of politicians to judge our own behaviour. I can’t think of anything that’s more backward than that … nobody could possibly think that that’s a good idea,” Sir Keir told Mr Vine.

About 50 Insulate Britain protesters have glued their hands and feet to the floor as they sat in the street outside the UK parliament.

Demonstrators blocked two roads Parliament Square on Thursday morning, with police working to remove protesters who had stuck themselves to the ground.

The Metropolitan Police said it had arrested 34 people in connection with the protest.

Boris Johnson has been accused of “staggering hypocrisy” after he took a private jet back from the Cop26 climate summit to attend a private members’ club dinner in London, writes Holly Bancroft.

The Tuesday night dinner at The Garrick Club in the West End was for a reunion of Daily Telegraph journalists. The PM, a former Telegraph columnist, was pictured leaving the club at around 10pm, escorted to the door by Lord Charles Moore, his former editor at the paper.

The government will bow to overwhelming pressure from MPs across the Commons and allow them to undo yesterday’s vote on sleaze probes.

Downing Street has confirmed a new vote will be held, likely next week, that will let MPs decide on whether to suspend Owen Paterson over his lobbying and, at the same time, abolish the new standards committee created just yesterday by Andrea Leadsom’s amendment.

Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson said: “We fully recognise the strength of feeling from members.

“On this that has been made clear, and so we are looking again at this and will bring forward more detailed proposals following the cross-party discussions.”

Catch up on all the details below:

Sir Lindsay Hoyle has criticised business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng for suggesting the independent parliamentary commissioner for standards should resign following yesterday’s sleaze vote.

The speaker told the Commons: “It’s not been a good period for the House, it’s been a very, very difficult time for all.

“What I would say is I do appeal to members – whether they are secretary of state or whoever – please, staff members of this House shouldn’t be named, they’ve not got the right of reply or the ability to defend themselves.

“I am appalled that Sky News is more important.

“I’ve got to say please, rein in your thoughts, consider what you are doing to the individuals concerned, they also have to live through this like the rest of us.

“Please, consider inappropriate behaviour and start acting responsible to the position that you hold.”

Boris Johnson’s abortive attempt to set aside a standards committee recommendation that Owen Paterson be suspended for 30 days over paid lobbying has resulted in a wave of negative headlines for the government.

It is now guaranteed that will continue into next week.

A three-hour emergency debate on the standards system for MPs will take place on Monday. Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle approved an application from Liberal Democrat MP Wendy Chamberlain.