Owen Patterson Has Resigned As Mp

[grumpy01]

Owen Patterson ,after speaking with his family,has resigned as an MP and will therefore trigger a by-election.After the last couple of days I don’t think he had much option.

[DTCwordfan]

Agree Togo....I understand Her Majesty's penal colonies of Tristan da Cuhna, Ascension Island, Rockall and Gibraltar are well represented as well as the pseudo-colony known as Ibiza.

[Spungle]

Let's see whether the good poeple of North Shropshire think- bring on the by-election!

As for the good people of Leicester East, they will have no such luxury. They will have to put up with the harrasser who had character references read out in court from former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, ex-shadow chancellor John McDonnell and former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott supporting their former colleague. I wonder why Sir Keir won't let her back into his party?!

[ichkeria]

The “good people” of N Shropshire would be a party to one of the great political earthquakes were the Tories to be unseated there. Especially as it’ll be a different candidate

[Spungle]

That's the beauty of democracy!

[Stickybottle]

Given the amount of coverage this was given on the 6 o’clock news I can only guess it has been a slow news day

[Togo]

//would be a party to one of the great political earthquakes were the Tories to be unseated there. Especially as it’ll be a different candidate//

Unless Paterson or someone like him were to stand as a UKIP or Reform UK candidate. A shoo in methinks.

[gulliver1]

Not looking good for the Con Party is it. ....is this a Con too far..??.

[jno]

a pity the government has abandoned its plan to set up a committee examining the standards system, which was to be chaired by John Whittingdale - who had himself been "investigated by a previous parliamentary commissioner for standards, over a trip to the MTV Europe awards in Amsterdam in 2013 with his then girlfriend, a dominatrix sex worker."

That promised to bring much merriment to the country.

(Not that I want to appear to be dominatrix-shaming.)

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/nov/04/why-did-owen-paterson-resign-and-what-happens-next

[ichkeria]

“ a trip to the MTV Europe awards in Amsterdam in 2013 with his then girlfriend, a dominatrix sex worker."

Shame!
Bring it on.
I hear he was whipped to vote for the winning entry …

[Peter Pedant]

// Given the amount of coverage this was given on the 6 o’clock news I can only guess it has been a slow news day//

no I think it was in homage - woke word - oh-marge - to what has happened. I dont recollect such a collected outpouring of disgust. - last straw stuff.

When Thatcher lost the wayward Mark - no one shouted - Leave him there ! - There was a stifled murmur that Thatcher had used her girlie powers to influence the Tunisian PM. Far more likely he jumped to it to curry favour with the Old Gal - and Christ what does an army DO in the sahara anyway?

when Bliar was shown to be lying over WMD - they just shruigged and said oops

When Thatcher bombed the Belgrano as it was running away ....

Nothing like this - especially with jacob R-M doing a well Naomi - saying one thing one night and the opposite the next day. - and insisting it was completely consistent

[Peter Pedant]

Eric Lubbock did it in er 1962 - foo-foo bye election wivva 54% swing. away from the tories = didnt last tho ....

[royfromaus]

the cruel world of politics

https://thumbsnap.com/7GGs8PxF

Why would anyone type that out?

[royfromaus]

https://twitter.com/KirstySNP/status/1456388413448499210

[Gromit]

If he was suspended on Monday, then his constituents could have triggered a by-election if they raised enough votes.
It would have been very messy and humiliating. This way he can stand again when the fuss dies down.

[Canary42]

One possibility has been mooted, only one opposing candidate, Anti-sleaze (like Martin Bell in 97 who won the seat).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59167967

[ichkeria]

"when Bliar was shown to be lying over WMD - they just shruigged and said oops
"

Except he didn't Peter.
Surprised to see you parroting this nonsense

[ichkeria]

I think an "anti-sleaze candidate would have their work cut out to get anywhere. In the case of Tatton, Martin Bell was standing against the incumbent on whom the scandal was focussed. Mr Paterson has stepped aside and who knows may rise again outside the "cruel world of politics" to be a force for good elsewhere.

[Gromit]

// Randox (the NI firm that Peterson lobbied for) would not long after win £500m of government work for the NHS’s Covid test and trace programme. The company had already been favoured with a visit to its labs in Northern Ireland by the then health secretary, Matt Hancock, in 2019. //

Well, that puts a different complexion on things. £500Million of tax payers money goes to Randox, the company Paterson was lobbying for.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/nov/05/lobbying-for-naked-bacon-how-the-owen-paterson-scandal-began

[jno]

considering Randox were paying Paterson a mere £100,000 a year, that was a good deal for them. Not too bad for Paterson either, of course.

[Gromit]

I am not sure why this isn’t bigger news.

Paterson lobbies his Conservative colleagues, then Matt Hancock (who famously gave a £30million contract to his local pub landlord) gives Randox a £500Million contract.

WOW!
That must sound alarm bells ringing.