Johnson Is Failing to Contain Fallout From U.K. Lobbying Scandal
- Premier misses debate, refuses to apologize over Paterson case
- Labour’s Starmer accuses Johnson’s government of ‘corruption’
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Boris Johnson is struggling to repress the U.K. backlash over his defense of a ruling party lawmaker who broke lobbying rules, as even typically friendly newspapers took aim at his ruling Conservative Party.
The British prime minister on Monday refused to apologize for his decision last week to tear up parliamentary rules on standards rather than accept the suspension of Owen Paterson, a Tory MP found guilty of paid advocacy. Johnson then missed an emergency debate in the House of Commons, raising anger from his own side and opponents benefiting in the polls from the fallout.