Thread by @fascinatorfun

Johnson’s bruising defeat over standards reform angers Tory MPs | Financial Times

Utterly despicable. Tory Whips threatened to withdraw funding for constituencies where their Tory MP did not support the Leadsom motion.

This should be banned. Shocking ft.com/content/51c93b…

And why did Johnson do something that sleazy?

Because his boss at the Telegraph, Brexiter Charles Moore told him to.

No doubt also because there are so many examples of corrupt practise in the pipeline - so they set about undermining the investigator and Standards Committee

When Johnson led almost 250 Tory MPs into the House of Commons division lobbies on Wednesday, he will have noted the sullen looks, but one Tory MP said it was worse than that: “There were MPs in tears going through the lobby.”

They KNEW it was wrong but went along.
Inexplicable

Others blamed Paterson for putting his colleagues in such an invidious position in the first place. “Why he could not have resigned 24 hours ago, I’ve no idea,” said one backbencher.

Another longstanding friend of Paterson, said: “He should have just taken the punishment and moved on. Now the whole thing has blown up into something much bigger.”

Yep. Corruption piled on top of corruption.

Now all them stink.

“although one Tory veteran tells me: "any MP who believed this deserves to have funding removed for being a thick gullible twat"

Well - yes -

H/t @PickardJE for that little gem.