Johnson Can’t Duck Tory Sleaze Row as U.K. Criticism Mounts
Johnson Can’t Duck Tory Sleaze Row as U.K. Criticism Mounts
(Bloomberg) -- U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing growing criticism over his party’s conduct, as a former Conservative prime minister and opposition members speak out against him following a lobbying scandal.
Johnson is “trashing the reputation of our democracy,” opposition leader Keir Starmer said in a BBC interview Sunday, after the prime minister outlined plans to overhaul rules on politicians’ behavior in a bid to protect one of its own.
Former Conservative Prime Minister John Major also criticized Johnson this weekend, calling the Johnson government “perhaps politically corrupt.” He told BBC Radio 4 on Saturday “there’s a general whiff of ‘we are the masters now’ about their behavior,” which he described as damaging to the country and its reputation overseas.
The comments come after Johnson tried to change Parliament rules following an investigation into former Tory minister Owen Paterson, who was found guilty of paid advocacy on behalf of two companies, rather than accept Paterson’s suspension. Johnson pressured his party to vote for the change which, though successful, caused an outcry, and led to Paterson’s resignation and a U-turn on the plans.
After the vote, both Labour and the Scottish National Party warned of a return to 1990s “Tory sleaze,” British media shorthand for questionable actions ranging from corruption or secretive financial arrangements to sex scandals.
The situation escalated further for the government Sunday after The Sunday Times and Open Democracy accused the Conservative Party of systematically offering multimillionaire donors seats in the House of Lords in exchange for contributions of 3 million pounds ($4 million) or more.
The investigation found that in the past two decades, all 16 of the party’s main treasurers -- the party’s top fundraising role -- except for the most recent, were offered seats. Unlike other honors where the title is symbolic, Lords have a role in contributing to U.K. legislation. The Sunday Times said six former Tory ministers had expressed deep unease about the practice, without naming them.
Defending the party, George Eustice, U.K. environment secretary, told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show Sunday that those people who are nominated for such honors deserve the accreditation.
“These people will be entrepreneurs who give huge amounts to charity, who will be very successful in business and on those grounds should be considered for the Lords,” Eustice said. “People like that have an interest in politics. They are philanthropists and have made a great commitment to public life.”
Eustice told Sky News earlier that Major’s comments on the events surrounding the Paterson situation were “a Westminster storm in a teacup.”
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