Owen Paterson will resign as the MP for North Shropshire in order to escape “the cruel world of politics” following a furious row over his proposed ban from the House of Commons.
The Conservative former cabinet minister has been at the centre of a scandal after it was recommended he be suspended for 30 days.
Mr Paterson, who has been an MP for 24 years, was found by parliament’s independent sleaze investigator to have broken lobbying rules during his £110,000-a-year private sector work.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson had encouraged MPs to save Mr Paterson from immediate suspension
On Wednesday, Conservative MPs – with the encouragement of Prime Minister Boris Johnson – passed a motion in favour of ignoring Mr Paterson’s month-long Commons suspension.
As part of the backlash, the government was accused of “corruption” in seeking to overhaul parliament’s standards rules in an alleged effort to protect the Tory MP.
In the face of a huge outcry, the government performed a U-turn in the row on Thursday with the promise of a new vote on Mr Paterson’s suspension.
But, just hours later, the 65-year-old announced his intention to resign from the House of Commons.
“I have today, after consultation with my family, and with much sadness decided to resign as the MP for North Shropshire,” he said.
“The last two years have been an indescribable nightmare for my family and me. My integrity, which I hold very dear, has been repeatedly and publicly questioned.
“I maintain that I am totally innocent of what I have been accused of.”
Mr Paterson was last month found by a Commons watchdog to have “repeatedly used his privileged position” to benefit Randox, a clinical diagnostics company, and Lynn’s Country Foods, a meat processor and distributor.
He has continually declared himself “not guilty” and strongly criticised the investigation into his private sector work, which he said saw him raise serious issues about food contamination during his contact with officials.
Mr Paterson has also said the investigation into him “undoubtedly played a major role” in his wife, Rose Paterson, taking her own life in June last year.
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Paterson: ‘I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again’
In his resignation statement, he maintained that he “acted at all times in the interests of public health and safety” and claimed the current standards system in parliament would leave him “unable to clear my name”.
“Far, far worse than having my honesty questioned was, of course, the suicide of my beloved and wonderful wife, Rose,” he added.
“She was everything to my children and me. We miss her everyday and the world will always be grey, sad and ultimately meaningless without her. The last few days have been intolerable for us.
“Worst of all was seeing people, including MPs, publicly mock and deride Rose’s death and belittle our pain. My children have therefore asked me to leave politics altogether, for my sake as well as theirs.
“I agree with them. I do not want my wife’s memory and reputation to become a political football. Above all, I always put my family first.”
Mr Paterson admitted his decision to resign was “painful” but “the right one”.
The 65-year-old is a former cabinet minister and had been an MP for 24 years
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer demanded an apology from the prime minister following the Westminster row over Mr Paterson’s suspension.
“This has been an unbelievable 24 hours even by this government’s chaotic standards,” he said.
“Only yesterday Boris Johnson was forcing his MPs to rip up the rules on standards in public life is a truly damning indictment of this prime minister and the corrupt government he leads.
“Boris Johnson must now apologise to the entire country for this grubby attempt to cover up for the misdemeanour of his friend.
“This isn’t the first time he’s done this but it must be the last. And Boris Johnson must explain how he intends to fix the immense harm he has done to confidence in the probity of him and his MPs.”
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