Boris Johnson shouldn’t attend an emergency debate in the Commons on standards and sleaze and can follow proceedings on television, a cabinet minister has said.
It comes after Sir Keir Starmer said a no-show by the prime minister at the parliamentary debate on Monday would demonstrate that he was “either too arrogant or too cowardly to take responsibility” for the Owen Paterson lobbying scandal.
Asked whether Mr Johnson will be attending the debate, the international trade secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan told Sky News: “I’m afraid I don’t know that.
“These sorts of debates are usually led and fronted by the ministers — I imagine, but I’m afraid I don’t know, that Jacob Rees-Mogg and the [Commons] leader’s team will be probably be covering.”
Quizzed on whether Mr Johnson should be attending, she replied: “My opinion would be that no he shouldn’t be there.
“He will no doubt — as we all do — have the House of Commons on in his office as he’s dealing with many, many other issues that only a prime minister that can deal with.
“He will get a briefing of the key issues raised by colleagues from across the House later on, I believe that the Leader and other ministers will be well placed to take the despatch box this afternoon.”
Ahead of the debate, Ms Trevelyan suggested that Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons speaker, was likely to make a statement on the issues of MPs’ standards in the wake of last week’s row over an attempt to block Mr Paterson’s 30-day suspension.
The cabinet minister said the emergency debate would see “concerns from many colleagues” around the issue of appeals in the standards system.
“I understand the speaker of the House will also be making a statement later on to identify how we can move forward to help solve that issue,” she added.
On the contentious issue of MPs’ second jobs and amid reports the Commons standard committee is considering banning politicians from having consultancy roles, Ms Trevelyan said: “This has been an issue that has kicked around for many years.
“My view is that most of who do for instance, those who doctors and nurses who continue to maintain their professional credentials and indeed serve in their original profession, I think the question of MPs holding jobs that involve lobbying perhaps should be looked at again.
“But I don’t think we should have the removal of the ability to maintain or have a second job because it brings a richness to our role as members of parliament as well the work we do day-to-day in our constituencies.”
Read More: Boris Johnson shouldn’t attend emergency Commons sleaze debate, cabinet