Scandal-hit former MP Owen Paterson appeals to Keir Starmer for help to clear his name over lobbying
A former Shropshire MP who resigned after breaching paid advocacy rules is asking the Prime Minister for help in challenging lobbying sanctions in court.
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Owen Paterson, the former Conservative MP for North Shropshire, has written to Labour's Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, in an attempt to secure his assistance.
Mr Paterson, who represented North Shropshire for 24 years, resigned in November 2021, following a lobbying scandal that triggered the end of Boris Johnson's time as prime minister.
The North Shropshire MP chose to step down as he faced suspension for what was judged an 'egregious breach' of paid advocacy rules.
An investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Kathryn Stone, found he repeatedly lobbied ministers and officials on behalf of two companies for which he was acting as a paid consultant – Randox, and Lynn's Country Foods.
Mr Paterson, a former cabinet member, has always strenuously denied any wrongdoing, saying he was raising issues in the public interest, adding that he wants to prove his case in court.
His bid to challenge the findings in the European courts was rejected in September.
