A Massive Owen Goal

Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

Institute for Government

News, Politics, Government

4.6 • 252 Ratings

🗓️ 5 November 2021

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This podcast was recorded shortly before Owen Patterson resigned.
0:14.0	Hello and welcome to Inside Briefing, the podcast from the Institute for Government.
0:18.9	I'm Bronwyn Maddox. It's a podcast of two parts today.
0:23.2	Yesterday, MPs controversially voted to put off making a decision on whether to suspend
0:27.8	Conservative MP Owen Patterson from the House of Commons. Today, after massive backlash in Parliament
0:34.2	and across the front pages, the government is rowing back fast,
0:38.3	in fact, U-turning.
0:39.7	So what is going on?
0:40.8	What does this say about the system that governs MP's behaviour and how much damage has this
0:46.0	done?
0:47.1	It will make sense of a story that is unfolding as we report.
0:50.9	And from politicians coming together to find a way to save an MP's job,
0:54.6	to the rather more edifying spectacle of politicians coming together, sort of,
0:59.1	to find ways to save the planet.
1:01.5	We're going to head to Glasgow, where the eyes of the world have been on COP 26,
1:05.4	and after travelling to Scotland, many by private jet, which did not pass without comment,
1:10.0	world leaders have tried to come up
1:11.7	with a plan to tackle climate change. So what deals have been struck? Where do we go from here?
1:16.8	We'll take a look at that too. All that to come. I'm delighted to be joined throughout by Jill Rutter,
1:22.0	IFG senior fellow and veteran of many government departments and number 10 too. Hi Jill. Good afternoon, Brumann.
1:28.5	Always good to have you with us. Let's start in Westminster because that's where this week's
1:32.2	biggest upheaval is. This story is moving fast, but it goes something like this. MPs voted not to
	...

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