Peterborough MP explains why he abstained in controversial Parliamentary standards vote

MP for Peterborough Paul Bristow. Photo: Ian Davidson.

MPs voted to change how the standards watchdog works, with many Conservative MPs voting to block the suspension of minister Owen Paterson.

The decision was criticised by many opposition - and some Conservative - MPs, and today it was announced that MPs will now vote again on the matter. A date has not yet been set for the second vote.

Mr Paterson was found to have broken rules surrounding lobbying, by using his position as an MP to benefit companies he was working for as an advisor.

Peterborough MP Paul Bristow abstained in this week’s vote. Speaking to The Peterborough Telegraph, he said; “I was for a period of time Chair of the Association of Professional Political Consultants (APPC) and then the PRCA Public Affairs Board. Our position was always “legislators shouldn’t be lobbyists”. It was for this reason I couldn’t support the amendment yesterday.”

North West Cambridgeshire MP Shailesh Vara supported the Government amendment in the vote.

Mr Vara said: ““The vote did not exonerate Owen Patterson and it is disingenuous of people to claim that it did.

“The wording of the amendment was clear for those that took the trouble to read it.

“Its purpose was to ensure that the Parliamentary process allowed a right of appeal, in the same way that millions of people across the UK would be entitled to have one.”