UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has watered down controversial plans to overhaul the disciplinary process for MPs and review a senior Tory’s alleged breach of lobbying rules after widespread outrage.

Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said he would seek “cross-party” changes to the system after Labour and other opposition parties refused to take part in a “corrupt committee”.

And he suggested any changes may not “apply retrospectively” after the Government came under intense criticism for blocking Owen Paterson’s immediate suspension.

Mr Rees-Mogg’s announcement to MPs came as an ethics adviser to the Prime Minister described Wednesday’s votes as a “very serious and damaging moment for Parliament”.

Former Cabinet minister Owen Paterson in the House of Commons, London, as MPs debated an amendment calling for a review of his case after he received a six-week ban from Parliament over an egregious breach of lobbying rules. Picture date: Wednesday

Former Cabinet minister Owen Paterson in the House of Commons, London, as MPs debated an amendment calling for a review of his case after he received a six-week ban from Parliament over an "egregious" breach of lobbying rules. Picture date: Wednesday

On Wednesday, most Tory MPs voted not to suspend Owen Paterson after he was found guilty of paid lobbying by a standards watchdog.

The amendment also provided for changing the system for investigating breaches of standards.

How our MPs voted:

  • Sarah Atherton, Conservative, Wrexham - For
  • Simon Baynes, Conservative, Clwyd South - For
  • James Davies, Conservative, Vale of Clwyd - For
  • Rob Roberts, Independent, Delyn - For
  • Liz Saville Roberts, Plaid Cymru, Dwyfor Meirionnydd - Did not vote
  • Mark Tami, Labour, Alyn and Deeside - Against

The above votes mean none of our local Conservative MPs voted against the UK Government.

Some elsewhere did, such as Aaron Bell, of Newcastle-under-Lyme, and Jackie Doyle-Price, who represents Thurrock.

Lord Evans, the chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, said plans for a Tory-led review into the disciplinary process for MPs as being “deeply at odds with the best traditions of British democracy”.

The Commons Leader recognised that standards must be reformed on a cross-party basis as he acknowledged “that is clearly not the case” with the Government’s proposals.

“While there is a very strong feeling on both sides of the House that there is a need for an appeals process, there is equally a strong feeling that this should not be based on a single case or apply retrospectively,” Mr Rees-Mogg said.

“I fear last night’s debate conflated an individual case with the general concern. This link needs to be broken.

“Therefore I and others will be looking to work on a cross-party basis to achieve improvements in our system for future cases. We will bring forward more detailed proposals once there have been cross-party discussions.”