After a quick U-turn to overhaul the standards system and get Tory MP Owen Paterson free, the government was ripped apart online.
Social media users mocked ministers after Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg was deployed to confirm they had backtracked in the wake of furious opposition.
Some were furious at this move and attacked the Tories for their’stupidity’ in holding a vote yesterday.
Others made mockery of the ruling party, one asking if people are experiencing whiplash due to the constant U-turns.
After this morning’s outrage, the PM reduced the plans to overhaul MPs’ disciplinary processes and reviewed Mr Paterson’s alleged violation of the rules.
After Labour and other opposition parties refused participation in a corrupt committee’, Mr Rees-Mogg stated that he would seek ‘cross party’ changes to the system.
After the Government was heavily criticized for blocking Mr Paterson’s immediate suspension, he suggested any changes could not ‘apply retrospectively.
After Commons Leader Jacob Rees Mogg (pictured today), was deployed to confirm that they had retreated in the wake furious opposition, social media users mocked ministers
Owen Paterson (right), one of the Tory MPs, voted yesterday to block Boris Johnson’s suspension.
Social media users were unforgiving online and panned the government for the embarrassing volte-face.
One wrote: “Boris Johnson wakes up with another red wine hangover, and makes the 48th Turn of his premiership.”
Another wrote: “A government U-turn following public backlash against another stupid decision.”
A man put: ‘Put your hands up, bend your knees bounce around in a circle, get down with me Come on, come on, it’s not hard to learn Come on, come on, it’s called the U-Turn…’
Another said: “Arriving at Platform 1 is the predicted Tory Uturn to Embarrassment Shame and Corruption.
“This train of misery will disintegrate at Owen Paterson, with its rear portion continuing to Egregious Breach.”
One said: “I was trying to do some training for a call, when my phone rang and I saw the word U-turn. I burst into tears of laughter and then started to cry.”
One more: “So with this latest Uturn, does that mean that the Tory party are giving in to sleaze?”
His comments to MPs came after an ethics adviser to PM described Wednesday’s votes in Parliament as a very serious, damaging moment for Parliament’.
Lord Evans, Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, stated that plans for a Tory-led review were ‘deeply at odds’ with British democracy’s best traditions.
The Commons leader acknowledged that standards need to be reformed across parties as he acknowledged that ‘that is clearly the case’ with the proposed reforms.
He stated that while there is a strong feeling on both sides that an appeals process is necessary, there is also a strong feeling that it should not be based solely on one case or apply retroactively.
“I fear that last night’s debate confused a specific case with the larger concern. This link must be broken.
“Therefore, I and others will be looking at a cross-party basis in order to improve our system for future cases.
“We will make more detailed proposals after there have been cross-party talks.”
Mr Rees-Mogg’s remarks to MPs came after an ethics adviser to PM described Wednesday’s vote as a very serious, damaging moment for Parliament’
Owen Paterson was found to have committed an ‘egregious’ breach of standards rules as he lobbied for two companies paying him more than £100,000 per year. Mr Paterson, pictured with his late wife Rose, claimed the ‘biased’ way the standards inquiry was carried out was a major factor in her suicide last year
A defiant Kathryn Stone (pictured) has indicated she will stay on as the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards for another year, despite the pressure from Mr Paterson’s camp
Despite his measured tone of voice, there were jeers from all corners of the House. Social media users continued to pile on their support for the U-turn.
One person joked that there was a “another U-turn?” Are you a British journalist? Talk to a specialist whiplash lawyer right away!
Another male user commented online that the government should “U-turn” when they realize that the public doesn’t like crooks.
A Labour councillor wrote, “Getting Jacob Rees Mogg; the man who is old school tie elitism and announces all of it; its so outof touch you can’t even start.”
‘U-turn is imminent, but the whole affair seems like the same old Tory Elites; one rule to them, another for everyone else.
Chris Boyd tweeted on Thursday morning: “Tfw, you see the latest tory U-turn.”
This means that a motion to suspend Mr Paterson for 30 jours for violating lobbying rules is now being brought back before the House.
The PM had flouted convention by ordering that his party oppose the conclusions made by the standards watchdog.
The amendment to ‘pause’ the process and call for a reform in the sleaze laws was rejected by the backbenchers.
The block caused chaos and left the current system for regulating MPs’ behavior in ruins. Opposition parties pledged to boycott any plans to create a new one.
Mr Paterson was found to have committed an ‘egregious’ breach of standards rules by directly advocating for two companies from which he pocketed some £500,000.
He denied wrongdoing and said he would do it again. He also called for Kathryn Stone, standards commissioner, to resign.
This was endorsed during media rounds by Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng just hours before the volte-face.
MailOnline was told by a government source that Mr Paterson would be suspended.
A Tory senior leader said: “There will be a lot more angry MPs that gave in and voted for Government.” Marched up to the top of the hill…’
Chris Bryant, a Labour MP and chair of the Standards committee, warned against retroactively changing the system when an ally was in danger. He said it was ‘what they do to Russia’.