Tory fury at Boris's 'back of fag packet' crackdown on MPs' outside earnings as minister says 20 hours a week on a sideline 'is fine' and Geoffrey Cox CAN still do lucrative legal work - with PM facing revolt in sleaze showdown with Labour later
- Boris Johnson is facing showdown with Labour and his own MPs over reforms to MPs' outside earnings rules
- The PM is struggling to limit the damage from sleaze allegations after the Owen Paterson lobbying debacle
- Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan risked causing chaos by saying 20 hours a week on second job 'is fine'
- Ms Trevelyan also contradicted government sources by suggesting Geoffrey Cox's legal work can go on
Boris Johnson endured another brutal day trying to quell the sleaze crisis today with Tories furious about his 'back of a fag packet' crackdown on their outside earnings.
The PM has desperately tried to draw a line under the chaos by pledging to ban politicians from working as consultants on the side - something that could cost dozens of his own backbenchers significant sums.
In a major shift, Mr Johnson also suggested MPs should have limits placed on the time they spend on second jobs.
The dramatic intervention was intended to outflank Labour amid growing alarm that its attacks on the government over sleaze were hitting home.
But it immediately threatened to descend into a shambles, with Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan suggesting that 20 hours on a sideline 'is fine'.
'Let's say two shifts, that would be 16 hours a week. Are we saying 10 to 20 hours a week outside your work as an MP and a parliamentarian? If that's what you chose to do as your choice, that's fine.'
Ms Trevelyan also indicated that former attorney general Geoffrey Cox would not have to curb his £1million a year legal practice under the mooted changes - despite No10 claiming he would.
'Key is, is he doing a good job for his constituents? Do they think he's doing a good job for them? And, from what I've heard, no-one has stood up and said otherwise,' she said.
'But that he continues to practise what is his professional skill while he is a backbench MP, for me, is perfectly acceptable because in the same way that Maria Caulfield serves in the NHS as a nurse continues to practise her profession alongside serving her constituents is, I think, important for the NHS.'
The proposals have teed up a major showdown with some Tory MPs over whether and how the rules at Parliament should be overhauled. There is muttering that many will decline to turn up for crunch votes on the changes due this evening.
One backbencher told MailOnline that Downing Street had 'dreamed up' another disastrous idea that looked clever at first glance but would not stand up to any scrutiny.
'I think it's been put together on the back of a fag packet... It's the same mistake we made over Owen Paterson,' they said.
Mr Johnson clashed bitterly with Keir Starmer at PMQs this lunchtime, and was grilled by the Liaison Committee, before crunch votes tonight on how to reform Commons rules.
He later faced the backbench 1922 Committee in a bid to repair relations with his MPs, admitting to them: 'On a clear road I crashed the car into a ditch.'
Boris Johnson (pictured at PMQs today) has desperately tried to draw a line under the chaos by pledging to ban politicians from working as consultants on the side - something that could cost dozens of his own backbenchers significant sums
The dramatic intervention was intended to outflank Keir Starmer (pictured today) amid growing alarm that Labour's attacks on the government over sleaze were hitting home
The government's blueprint immediately threatened to descend into a shambles, with Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan suggesting that 20 hours on a sideline 'is fine'
Some polls have shown the Opposition taking the lead amid the outcry over Owen Paterson's lobbying and Geoffrey Cox's lucrative legal sideline.
The government wants new rules to introduced in January, assuming an agreement can be reached with Labour.
But the Opposition has accused the government of 'dirty tricks' and trying to water down its rival blueprint.
During the debate this evening, Shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire said the government was trying to 'water down' reforms.
She told MPs: 'The proposal which is in the amendment today, the only thing that is actually on offer to vote for from the Prime Minister, weakens, waters down, takes away the deadline, takes away the vote and the Leader of the House (Jacob Rees-Mogg) knows this.'
The Labour MP added: 'The benches opposite need to accept that the time has now come, today is that day, they need to stand up and be counted if they want to follow through on what their Prime Minister said yesterday, they need to vote for the Labour motion today. Will they? We will see.'
Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg told MPs that their expertise should 'not be for sale', but defended the Government's belief that parliamentarians benefit from having outside careers.
Mr Rees-Mogg said: 'I have already emphasised the supremacy of an MP's parliamentary and constituency work, but we also recognise there are certain external roles that seem at odds with the jobs of a Member of Parliament, namely those that would capitalise on an insiders knowledge of Parliament and Government.
'I can confirm to the House that we believe this experience and expertise that we accrue as part of our work as MPs should not be for sale. We are elected to Parliament on a promise to work for the greater good, not ourselves.'
He had earlier said: 'The Government believes that it is an historic strength of our system that MPs should have a wider focus than the Westminster bubble, that we should maintain connections to the world beyond so that we may draw on the insight and expertise that this experience offers, and that rather than a chamber replete with professional politicians with no previous career or future career other than to remain on the public payroll, we have a Parliament that benefits from MPs with a broader range of talents and professional backgrounds.'
But there were clear signs of unhappiness from Tories.
Sir Charles Walker complained that it had been 'a very bruising two weeks' and MPs were 'guilty until proven guilty'.
He said: 'We're never happier when burning each other to a crisp, we love to skewer each other and place ourselves on the barbecue and roast ourselves pink and then serve ourselves up with a large side order of hubris. We're all guilty of doing it on both sides of the House and we need to remember that. No-one in this place is perfect.'
He added: 'The one thing I've learnt is that we're not entitled to a fair hearing in this place: we're guilty until proven guilty, it's one of Newton's laws, if you're an MP you don't get a fair hearing.'
Conservative former minister Sir Edward Leigh questioned how it would be determined if an MP was spending too much time on outside interests, adding: 'It should be common-sense and it should be left to the judgment of the electorate.
'If it's left to the Commissioner for Standards, however distinguished, that will give that official a degree of power never enjoyed by any official ever before over Members of Parliament.
'We are accountable not to officials but to our electorate.'
Chris Bryant, Labour chairman of the Committee on Standards, also sounded negative about the idea of checking how long MPs were spending on Commons tasks.
'I think it'll be very, very difficult for the commissioner to start investigating whether an MP was devoting enough of their time to their constituents,' he said.
'Of course all our constituents want us to throw ourselves heart and soul into our work, and I think we all do – many of us work many, many more hours than a normal working week, 60, 70, 80 hours.'
Mr Bryant added he is 'very hesitant about going down this route of timesheets', noting he would urge his committee to 'think very carefully about this'.
Ms Trevelyan got into a muddle during her interviews this morning, initially saying up to 10 hours on a second job was acceptable, before increasing the figure to 15 hours, and then 20 hours.
'You do a 40 to 50-hour week, say, as a backbench MP and you do eight to 10 hours work on something else,' she told Times Radio. 'For me that would be a perfectly reasonable balance.'
On BBC Breakfast the Cabinet minister said: 'I think there is a common sense test which is if you probably do 40-50 hours a week doing your main job, doing 10 or 15 hours a week doing something else, whatever you choose to do in your spare time, whether that's paid or not paid, is something that is part of the richness of what you bring as an individual to your role as an MP.'
But later in her round of interviews, Ms Trevelyan told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that longer would be reasonable.
Labour's proposal calls for a ban on 'any paid work to provide services as a parliamentary strategist, adviser or consultant'.
Crucially, it also includes provisions requiring the Commons Standards Committee to come forward with proposals to implement the ban and guaranteeing time on the floor of the House for MPs to debate and vote on them.
In contrast, the more vaguely worded Government amendment simply describes the consultancy ban as 'the basis of a viable approach' and supports the work of the Standards Committee to update the MPs' code of conduct.
Shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire said it was 'typical Tory dirty tricks' and an attempt to water down the proposals.
The PM's proposals prompted an immediate backlash from Mr Johnson's own MPs, who now face losing out on thousands – and in some cases millions – of pounds.
Before Ms Trevelyan's intervention a Whitehall source claimed the plans were likely to restrict the activities of Sir Geoffrey, who has earned more than £5.5million from his other jobs – including a stint in the British Virgin Islands during lockdown.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, treasurer of the powerful Conservative backbench 1922 Committee, warned of 'dissatisfaction' among MPs.
'Various discussions will be taking place between backbenchers today and the Prime Minister, and I've no doubt I will have an opportunity to make my views known,' he said.
He added: 'I think I will have more than adequate opportunity to make my views known today.'
He said Mr Johnson 'wants to get ahead of the curve' on the debate and is 'doing the right thing'.
He said: 'We need to get the rules absolutely clear on what MPs can do, what they can't do, so that our constituents have an expectation of what the person representing them is going to do.'
Mr Johnson declared that his proposals would ensure MPs who are 'neglecting their duties to their constituents and prioritising outside interests would be investigated, and appropriately punished by the existing disciplinary authorities'.
He said it was now 'imperative that we put beyond doubt the reputation of the House of Commons by ensuring the rules which apply to MPs are up to date, effective and appropriately rigorous.'
He said he would seek a 'cross-party consensus' on the issue – prompting fears from some Tory MPs that Labour will ensure new rules are exceedingly tough.
As the PM battled to regain the public's confidence:
- MPs on Parliament's liaison committee prepared to grill Mr Johnson over the sleaze row today;
- It emerged that MPs could also be banned from taking freebies from lobbyists – and could have to declare new jobs they take after leaving Parliament;
- Sir Keir claimed the PM had been 'dragged kicking and screaming' to support reform by Labour's own bid to tighten the rules.
The Government will try to amend Labour's anti-sleaze motion with a vote in the Commons this afternoon to reflect the PM's new plan.
Mr Johnson's announcement came less than a fortnight after he tried to save Mr Paterson, who was found to have broken lobbying rules. As recently as a week ago, the PM said MPs' second jobs can 'strengthen' Parliament.
But yesterday saw his predecessor Theresa May deliver a withering assessment on the Paterson debacle, saying the Government's attempt to spare the former minister had been 'misplaced, ill-judged and just plain wrong'.
She added: 'Damage has been done to all MPs and to Parliament as a whole.'
The new proposals could directly affect around 30 MPs who currently hold lucrative jobs advising firms.
The PM has written to Speaker Lindsay Hoyle proposing a dramatic overhaul of the rules to crack down on abuses of the system - that could hit the interests of a number of Tory MPs
Jacob Rees-Mogg humbly admitted he had made a 'mistake' in pushing the retrospective overhaul of the standards system, as he urged members to vote for a motion that would official scrap the changes and rebuke Owen Paterson
They include former Tory chief whip Andrew Mitchell, who is paid more than £182,000 a year to advise six companies, and former transport secretary Chris Grayling, who is paid £100,000 a year as a 'strategic adviser' to a ports operator. The plan to place 'reasonable limits' on time spent on outside interests follows outcry over Sir Geoffrey, who has devoted 10,700 hours to his legal career since 2009. Yet some Tory MPs warned the PM risked going too far.
'The Prime Minister is pouring fuel on the fire just as it was starting to go out,' one senior figure said. 'What does 'reasonable limits' mean? Can you still be a minister and a constituency MP?
'Labour will have a field day with this – they will end up having us clocking in and clocking out to no useful end, while the media will crawl all over everything we do.'
Mr Rees-Mogg attempted to take the blame for the public backlash yesterday, telling the Conservative Home website that he had persuaded the PM to try to help Mr Paterson. The Commons Leader said he had done so out of sympathy for the former environment secretary, whose wife Rose committed suicide last year.
The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, Kathryn Stone, found Mr Paterson guilty of 'egregious' breaches of lobbying rules on behalf of two firms which had paid him more than £500,000.
But Mr Rees-Mogg said he felt Mr Paterson had been 'punished enough' by his tragic loss. 'It was not seen by the electorate as being merciful, it was seen as being self-serving,' he said of the attempt to block Mr Paterson's suspension.
'I must take my share of responsibility for this. I thought it was the right thing to do, I encouraged the Prime Minister to go down this route, and I was wrong.'
The PM said at the weekend: 'Of course, I think things could certainly have been handled better... by me.'
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