Press criticism of lobbying scandal is one reason No 10 ditched plan for Tory-led standards panelToday’s politics news – live updatesThe usually sympathetic media has rounded on the government for a second day over its handling of sleaze and Owen Paterson, and this time the verdict is even more brutal. It has been reported that the virulence of Thursday’s press criticism was one of the reasons the government so swiftly ditched a proposed new Tory-led standards panel. Following the U-turn and Paterson’s resignation, Friday’s papers make for even more difficult reading for the government, especially for
Boris Johnson.
The Mail carries a front-page picture of Johnson beside a headline questioning his leadership. The caption reads: “On day of farce, Tories U-turn on disgraced MP Paterson after public fury … he quits … and a nation aghast at Boris’s misjudgment asks … IS ANYBODY IN CHARGE AT No 10?”
One said she had “been flung under a bus for one man” and asked “was it worth it?” Another, reeling minutes after the U-turn, called it “disgraceful” and criticised “huge party mismanagement” by the whips.