Peerage for Owen Paterson 'would undermine trust in Parliament'
The panel which considers nominations for the House of Lords has been urged to reject any move for Owen Paterson to receive a peerage.
The former Cabinet minister quit the Commons while facing the prospect of a 30-day suspension for "egregious" breaches of lobbying rules.
Amid speculation that Mr Paterson could be nominated for a seat in the Upper Chamber, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has written to the chairman of the House of Lords Appointments Commission to say that "such an action would undermine confidence in the probity of Parliament".
Downing Street has not ruled out the possibility that Mr Paterson could be handed a peerage in the wake of his resignation, but stressed there was a "formal process" that applies.
In a letter to Lord Bew, Sir Keir said: "Since the resignation of Owen Paterson MP, speculation has mounted that the Prime Minister is planning to nominate him for a peerage.
"It is my opinion - and the opinion of the Labour Party - that such an action would undermine confidence in the probity of Parliament."
Mr Paterson has maintained his innocence despite the damning findings of the Commons Standards Committee following an investigation by the independent Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.
The committee found his work as a consultant for Randox and Lynn's Country Foods - which earnt him more than £100,000 a year on top his £82,000 salary as an MP - amounted to an "egregious case of paid advocacy" which had "brought the House into disrepute".
In his letter to Lord Bew, the Labour leader said Mr Paterson had "shown no remorse or regret for his actions".
He added: "The issues raised go far beyond the behaviour of one MP.
"Does the commission agree that anyone found to have egregiously breached standards leading to a suspension from Parliament would be an inappropriate nominee for a peerage?
"Putting this on the record would send a firm message about the importance of maintaining trust in the integrity and standards of our Parliament."
Sir Keir also told Andrew Marr that the Prime Minister is trying to undermine Westminster’s sleaze watchdogs because of his own run-ins with the standards system.
Tory former prime minister Sir John Major said it would be "rather extraordinary" if Mr Paterson was nominated for a seat in the Lords.
Meanwhile the first candidate in the by-election to replace Mr Paterson has been announced as Reform UK's Kirsty Walmsley, a former Conservative and the daughter of ex-Shropshire Council leader Keith Barrow.
