CABINET minister George Eustice has dismissed the Owen Paterson affair as a "storm in a teacup".

The Environment Secretary acknowledged the UK Government had "made a mistake" in trying to get Mr Paterson's breach of lobbying rules re-examined by a new, Tory-majority committee which would also consider the entire Commons standards regime.

But asked whether he accepted the Government was in trouble over its "character" and "sleaze" allegations, he told Sky News: "What we have seen is a Westminster storm in a teacup.

"Yes, we made a mistake in bringing that forward in the way that we did, so we withdrew it.

"But the overall principle, that you should have due process and a right of appeal in these types of situations, I don't think anybody doubts."

Mr Paterson, who denies breaking rules, has now quit as an MP.

 

Sir Keir Starmer claimed Boris Johnson is "in the sewer with his troops".

The Labour leader, on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, said of Mr Johnson and the Owen Paterson case: "Instead of upholding standards, he ordered his MPs to protect his mate and rip up the whole system - that is corrupt, it is contemptible and it's not a one-off."

His party insisted Jacob Rees-Mogg's position as Commons Leader is "untenable" following the MPs' standards row.

Shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire criticised the Government, including Mr Rees-Mogg, for "conflating" the Owen Paterson case with attempts to overhaul the standards watchdog, saying: "This is Tory sleaze, pure and simple."

Pressed on whether Mr Rees-Mogg should resign, Ms Debbonaire told Trevor Phillips on Sunday on Sky News: "If I was him, I'd be considering my position, that's what I think he should do today."

She added: "I think his position is untenable."

Ms Debbonaire went on to stress the need of MPs to uphold a system of standards, adding: "I hope that Boris Johnson also considers his position this weekend and takes the steps he needs to repair the reputation, that he's damaged, of politics."

Asked about Mr Johnson's future, Sir Keir said he is "angry" as the reputation of the country and democracy is being "trashed" by the Prime Minister.

 

He said: "When there was sleaze in the mid-1990s John Major rolled up his sleeves and he put in place the Nolan Committee on Standards in Public Life - so he was the prime minister who said I will clear this up.

"Boris Johnson is the Prime Minister who is leading his troops through the sewer - he's up to his neck in this.

"I don't think you or anybody else could with a straight face say this Prime Minister is the man to clean up politics and to have the highest standards in public life because he is in the sewer with his troops."

Mr Starmer suggested the Prime Minister wanted to weaken the standards regime.

"There is a whiff that the Prime Minister would quite like the scrutiny and the standards to be weakened because they are looking too closely at him," Sir Keir told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show.

"If this is a one-off then you could view it in a particular way.

"But this is a Prime Minister with so many examples of him ignoring findings and the sense that he has had all of his life that there is 'one rule for him and his mates and another rule for everybody else' is still there, but at the top of government."