Written by Anne Sainen··Modified:
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Nepotism, conflicts of interest and bribery: Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party is under fire. MP after MP is embroiled in the latest scandal involving lucrative side jobs.
This is what the prominent representative got Jeffrey Cox Millions as a lawyer, but he only addressed the British Parliament once last year. Vote on bills remotely. From the tax haven Virgin Islands.
Climate summit overwhelmed
“The United Kingdom is not a corrupt country,” Boris Johnson said yesterday during the climate summit in Glasgow. Attention should have focused on the severity of global temperature rise and on Britain as the climate savior.
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But Johnson can no longer ignore the scandal that has been brewing in Westminster for days. Johnson assured the international press that “members of the British Parliament who violate parliamentary rules will be punished.”
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The uproar began when Governor Owen Paterson appeared to have breached lobbying rules at the end of last month. The representative worked as a consultant for a medical company that won multi-million-dollar contracts with the government during the pandemic to supply testing materials. To make matters worse, Patterson used his Westminster office for his second mission. This is against parliamentary rules.
A clear case of conflict of interest, the parliamentary integrity committee ruled. Paterson was suspended for a month. But Prime Minister Johnson defended his party colleague. He tried to delay stopping Patterson And avoid expulsion By reviewing the rules regarding part-time jobs. Johnson even won a vote in the House of Commons on changing the rules.
Meanwhile, criticism increased. Opposition leader Keir Starmer accused Johnson of nepotism and allowing corruption. There was also discontent with Johnson’s party. “It is simply wrong for powerful people to be able to make the rules for themselves,” Conservative Kevin Hollinracke said. In the end, Patterson saw no other way out and resigned.
More revelations
But the British media did not leave it at that. A week of revelations followed. Rich businessmen who have donated £3 million to the Conservative Party could be given a peerage and thus win a place in the House of Lords, the Sunday Times reported. The case is now with the police.
The Guardian He pointed out that 90 out of 360 Conservative MPs earn a lot of extra money through a second job. This was in front of some Labor Party representatives. Prime Minister Johnson also received notoriety. Because he announced his free vacation in Spain in a luxury villa owned by a political friend?
These revelations caused serious damage to the reputation of Johnson’s Conservative Party. The so-called Conservatives are traditionally viewed as an elitist party. The party of the rich who support each other. Since 1925, the “purchase” of titles of nobility has been prohibited by law. But many Britons now believe that little has changed.
Part-time jobs have not been cancelled
Boris Johnson is avoiding confrontation as much as possible this week. He missed the discussion about part-time jobs for politicians. Instead, he preferred to visit a hospital in Northumberland. During the climate summit, he eventually defended his fellow party members and promised to crack down on colleagues who flout the rules.
But he added today: Abolishing the second jobs of British MPs is not an option at the present time.
