“I truly believe that the UK is not even remotely a corrupt country,” said Boris Johnson (File)
London:
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday he does not believe Britain is a corrupt country, as parliament was embroiled in a growing scandal over MPs being paid for outside work that may have violated its rules.
The question of members of parliament (MPs) taking up second jobs has come under renewed scrutiny over the past week, after Johnson’s government sought to change parliamentary conflict of interest rules to protect an aide threatened with suspension. Had it.
Parliament’s standards watchdog determined that Conservative Owen Paterson had made a “serious case of advocacy of payments” by using his position to promote the two firms.
While Patterson eventually resigned, Johnson’s handling of the case severely damaged party morale, and many prominent names in the party are now in the media spotlight.
“I truly believe that the UK is not even remotely a corrupt country, nor do I believe that our institutions are corrupt,” Johnson told the UN climate conference to try to persuade leaders to move forward in their pledges. Said during a press conference after a speech. Glasgow.
“You have cases where, sadly, lawmakers who have broken rules in the past may be guilty of breaking rules today. What I’d like to see is facing the appropriate sanctions.”
While Johnson has a majority of 77 seats in parliament, he is also facing the pressures of a living crisis coupled with rising inflation, and a renewed bout of hostility with Brussels over Northern Ireland that damaged trade ties. could.
constituency work
Newspapers reported that Conservative Geoffrey Cox, a former attorney general, used a proxy voting system to accommodate lawmakers working from home during COVID-19 to attend votes from the British Virgin Islands, where He was advising his ministers to initiate corruption investigations. by the UK Foreign Office.
The Register of Member’s Financial Interests, where lawmakers have to declare outside earnings, shows that Cox is paid hundreds of thousands of pounds a year for his legal work.
While outdoor work is allowed, the Times newspaper published a video on Wednesday showing Cox attending a legal hearing from his parliamentary office, a clear violation of the rules.
Opposition Labor Party deputy leader Angela Rainer called it “a brutal violation of the rules and an insult to taxpayers” and said she had written to the Commissioner for Standards asking for an investigation into the allegations.
Cox’s office said in a statement that he always ensured that the functioning of his constituency was given primary importance and that he was advised by the party’s chief whip responsible for voting that his use of proxy voting was appropriate.
He said he would cooperate with any investigation. “They do not believe they have violated the rules, but will certainly accept the decision of the parliamentary commissioner or committee on the matter,” the statement said.
Johnson declined to comment on individual matters when asked about Cox, but said those who do not put the interests of their constituents first should face punishment.
The commotion is reminiscent of the 1990s when Conservative Prime Minister John Major’s government was beset with allegations of abuse.
Britain’s political establishment was similarly rocked in 2009 when a national newspaper published details of MPs’ expenses, revealing widespread abuse, sparking public outrage and jailing some politicians. .
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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