How did my MP vote on Owen Paterson's suspension? Why Owen Paterson resigned and how Scottish MPs voted

Rachael Davies
By Rachael Davies
Published 4th Nov 2021, 13:59 BST
Updated 5th Nov 2021, 11:42 BST
Comment
Find out how your MP voted on Owen Paterson’s suspension, as the MP resigns his position in Parliament.

Conservative MP Owen Paterson was the root of a scandal in Parliament that reached its climax yesterday.

Mr Paterson had been a paid consultant for a clinical diagnostics company called Random since 2015 and a meat distributer, Lynn’s Country Foods, since 2016.

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While MPs are allowed to have such jobs, Mr Paterson breached Parliament rules on paid advocacy by using his influence in Whitehall to the gain of the companies.

Since then, Mr Paterson was suspended but went on to reject the findings of the report, claiming that “no proper investigation was undertaken” and was not given the chance to clear his name.

Here’s what happened when the suspension was put to a vote, and how Scottish MPs voted in Parliament.

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Why did MP Owen Paterson resign?

Former Cabinet minister Owen Paterson in the House of Commons, London, as MPs debated an amendment calling for a review of his case after he received a six-week ban from Parliament over an "egregious" breach of lobbying rules. Photo: PA WireFormer Cabinet minister Owen Paterson in the House of Commons, London, as MPs debated an amendment calling for a review of his case after he received a six-week ban from Parliament over an "egregious" breach of lobbying rules. Photo: PA Wire
Former Cabinet minister Owen Paterson in the House of Commons, London, as MPs debated an amendment calling for a review of his case after he received a six-week ban from Parliament over an "egregious" breach of lobbying rules. Photo: PA Wire

On Wednesday November 3rd, a vote was called in Parliament as to whether Mr Paterson’s suspension should be put aside and whether a review into the standards system should be pursued.

232 MPs voted against setting aside Mr Paterson’s suspension, while 250 voted in favour of setting it aside.

The vast majority of the winning 250 votes were from the Conservatives.

However, the backlash to this vote has made the UK Government make a U-turn on this decision, with cries of “shame” from the opposition benches being made after the vote.

On Thursday November 4th, the Government confirmed that another Commons vote will be held on the proposal to suspend Mr Paterson “as soon as possible”.

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A spokesperson for Downing Street has not confirmed when Prime Minister Boris Johnson changed his mind regarding the proposal.

Later the same day, Mr Paterson resigned amid the ongoing controversy.

How did my MP vote?

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon condemned the “stench of sleaze” around Boris Johnson's UK Government and called for an inquiry into allegations of corruption.

“It is time for the Tories to put all their dealings into the public domain and let them be properly investigated,” Mrs Sturgeon said.

Find out how your MP voted in the Parliament vote yesterday in the list of all Scottish MPs below.

- Hannah Bardell, Livingston, SNP: Against.

- Mhairi Black, Paisley and Renfrewshire South, SNP: Against.

- Ian Blackford, Ross, Skye & Lochaber, SNP: Against.

- Kirsty Blackman, Aberdeen North, SNP: Against.

- Steven Bonnar, Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill, SNP: Did not vote.

- Andrew Bowie, West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, Conservative: For.

- Deidre Brock, Edinburgh North & Leith, SNP: Against.

- Alan Brown, Kilmarnock and Loudoun, SNP: Against.

- Amy Callaghan, East Dunbartonshire, SNP: Did not vote.

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