A Massive Owen Goal

INSIDE BRIEFING with Institute for Government

In a series of unforced errors, the Government first whips its MPs to rescind the suspension of OWEN PATERSON MP for lobbying and rethink the entire Commons standards process… then suffers a rebellion and a roasting in the press… and then reverses their decision entirely. How damaging is this episode? And is there a case for reforming the system? Plus, we hear the latest on COP26 from RICHARD BLACK, senior associate of climate change non-profit the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, who’s on the spot in Glasgow.

• “Yes, there is a case to be made for reforming the standards process, but not when you’re investigating a former Cabinet Minister.” – JILL RUTTER

• “If you have a PM who is willing to use his political capital to protect someone who has broken the rules, there is no recourse in our system” – TIM DURRANT

• “Upending a whole system to protect one of your own laid the Government open to charges that it would just protect its friends.”– JILL RUTTER

• “If the country is going to become carbon neutral then the countryside is going to have to become carbon negative” – RICHARD BLACK

Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Tom Sasse, Jill Rutter and Tim Durrant. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.

https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

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