Governing by sleaze is a one-way ticket out of politics, says Jamie Stone

North MP Jamie Stone has accused the Prime Minister of showing a "jaw-dropping" disregard for the rules of parliament over the sleaze row which has engulfed the Conservative Party over the past week.

Mr Stone, the Liberal Democrat MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, also claimed Boris Johnson had been cowardly in not attending a parliamentary debate on the issue.

MPs from across the political divide have criticised Mr Johnson’s attempts to save his ally Owen Paterson from being suspended for lobbying.

"It has been a long time since we have witnessed such blatant corruption in a UK government," Mr Stone said. "What's more, at a time when the condition of his government is being heavily criticised, Boris Johnson is nowhere to be seen. His disregard for the rules of parliament is jaw-dropping and reeks of cowardice.

"The Conservative Party is falling apart – rotting from the head down. The government instructed its MPs to vote for letting Paterson off the hook, only for him to resign and the government to do yet another U-turn.

"I fear that even decent MPs on the other side are compromising on their principles for the sake of a prime minister who will readily throw them under the bus regardless.

"Sleaze is a black mark in this place. Using it to govern is a one-way ticket out of politics."

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