Tory MPs are "not letting Owen Paterson off", a senior backbencher has insisted, amid a push to delay or completely quash any sanctions against the former minister over lobbying.

       MPs and ministers will be told by Government whips to back attempts to reform the standards procedures, by backing one of two amendments put forward for a vote today.

       The amendment tabled by Andrea Leadsom, the former Commons leader, would see the creation of a new committee that would examine - among other issues - whether the case against Mr Paterson should be reviewed. Julian Lewis has also tabled an amendment saying no further action should be taken "on compassionate grounds".

       Labour has damned such efforts, saying it would turn "the clock back to the era of Neil Hamilton, cash for questions and no independent standards process".

       Sir Bernard Jenkin, chairman of the Liaison Committee, admitted the row "looks terrible", but insisted it was because "we have had a bad system for years and years and years".

       He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I just see this as opportunity to fix it. We are not letting Owen Paterson off, we are not exonerating him, we are not condemning him - we are putting his case in front of proper judicial style panel... Our current process doesn't respect natural justice."

       John Glen, the City minister, said it was a "procedural" matter for MPs, although noted the "apparent fairness of the way that investigation was undertaken" that was at stake.

       "Most people would agree that when there is a dispute over someone’s conduct there has got to be fair and due process before outcome and determination of the consequences is made," he added.

       Follow the latest updates below.

       Rishi Sunak's plan to make listed companies legally obliged to produce annual plans for becoming more green or risk financial penalties does not go far enough, the leader of the Liberal Democrats has said.

       The Chancellor will today announce regular “transition plans” for how they will help Britain reach net zero in carbon emissions by 2050 – a flagship Boris Johnson climate commitment.

       But Sir Ed Davey, a former energy and climate change secretary, said: “If we do not force fossil fuel money out of the City of London, we will never stop climate change in the UK or the wider world.

       "The Chancellor’s plan, that net zero is not to be mandatory for the world’s largest polluters financed in London, is a serious mistake.

       "Billions of pounds of the world’s fossil fuel money flood through the City of London: half-hearted plans and Treasury spin are simply not going to change that.”

       The Government's attempt to save Tory MP Owen Paterson from suspension is "the most appalling double standards", Lisa Nandy has said.

       Labour's shadow foreign secretary told Sky News: "The problem for Owen Paterson, for Andrea Leadsom and for all these Tories and, including now, it appears, the Prime Minister, who was saying that they don't want the system to apply, is that it is one rule for everybody else and another rule for them. That's just simply unacceptable."

       She added: "Owen Paterson has had three chances to make his case. Nobody is disputing the fact that he broke the rules and there has to be sanctions for that.

       "It matters. It matters to trust in politics, it matters to trust in government, and what the Government is doing at the moment is undermining that."

       More Labour MPs have vowed to fight Conservatives over Owen Paterson, with frontbenchers describing such moves as "a stitch-up".

       Conservative MPs will attempt to save their colleague who was found to have breached lobbying rules from suspension from the Commons, citing concerns about the investigation procedures for alleged misconduct.

       David Lammy, the shadow justice secretary, said: "Absolutely shameless. The Tories are treating voters with contempt. Labour will oppose this blatant stitch-up."

       Jon Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, added: "A fish rots from the head down."

       The creation of the first net zero financial centre will help establish a "pathway" to the UK's climate goals, a minister has said.

       The Chancellor will today set out the UK’s plans to become the world’s first net zero aligned financial centre.

       John Glen, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, told Sky News: "Government can provide billions but financial services firms can provide trillions. What we want to do is give people confidence in that journey to net zero.

       "Today we are announcing that we will get a taskforce together and in the next 12 months we will establish the regulations, the journey, the pathway to deliver that."

       He added: "There is enormous pressure to be accountable to those goals... I do recognise the scepticism that exists. This will help ensure there is credible information that is verifiable on that journey."

       A minister has shrugged off the resignation of a key Sage adviser, amid rising Covid cases.

       John Glen, the City minister, stressed there was "a range of views" about what to do in light of rising cases, but noted that "further restrictions also have consequences on people's lives. All that needs to be weighed up and we look at all the advice before we take any decisions."

       He told Sky News: "Government discusses these matters on an almost daily basis - decisions will be looked at on a rolling basis."

       The key was to ensure the booster programme was accelerated, he added

       A senior backbencher has admitted Tory efforts to reform the system by which MP standards are investigated "looks terrible".

       MPs are expected to vote on recommendations that Owen Paterson be suspended from the Commons for six weeks, but could instead vote for an amendment creating a new committee that would examine - among other issues - whether the case against Mr Paterson should be reviewed.

       Sir Bernard Jenkin, one of four Tory MPs who sits on the standards committee, has recused himself from discussions during the investigation as he is a close friend of the former minister.

       But he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We have an unfair process. In Owen’s case what the new committee will do is establish this independent investigatory panel, chaired by an outside judge, and hear an appeal in Owen's case.

       "That is the firs time it will happen and it should happen in all cases," he added. The current system was "hopeless", he added.

       But challenged on how the move looked, he admitted: "This looks terrible, [but] we have had a bad system for years and years and years."

       A minister has signalled his support for Owen Paterson ahead of a key vote today - although declined to be drawn on whether the Government would support a backbench move to save the MP from suspension.

       John Glen, the chief secretary to the Treasury, declined to comment on the specifics of what he dubbed a "procedural" issue, but he told Sky News it was the "apparent fairness of the way that investigation was undertaken" that was at stake.

       "That is the concern that I think colleagues across the House have and will be examined in House of Commons today," he added. "It’s a matter for House of Commons to respond to that report and it's also a matter of concern around the procedure leading up to the report making those conclusions.

       "Most people would agree that when there is a dispute over someone’s conduct there has got to be fair and due process before outcome and determination of the consequences is made... Owen Paterson has made some comments around what he experienced through the course of a very long investigation. This will be something that House will debate today."

       Battle lines are being drawn in Parliament today ahead of a key vote that could define Owen Paterson's career.

       Dozens of Conservative backbenchers are expected to come out in support of the former minister, in a bid to save their colleague.

       Mr Paterson was found to have breached lobbying rules and faces a career-ending suspension from the Commons. However the North Shropshire MP and his supporters have cited concerns about the investigation procedures for alleged misconduct.

       Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Commons Leader, has already signalled his support for Mr Paterson, using his regular ConHome podcast to question the process taken by commissioner Kathryn Stone.

       But Labour has said adopting such amendments would turn "the clock back to the era of Neil Hamilton, cash for questions and no independent standards process".

       Thangam Debbonaire, shadow Commons leader, said: "The Tories want to jettison the system that has served us well and which has been a vital part of rebuilding public trust after the dark days of Tory sleaze this Government seems determined to return to".

       Boris Johnson knows exactly what it feels like to have been investigated by Kathryn Stone, the nose-stud wearing parliamentary commissioner for standards - who, in a previous role, declined to describe the IRA as “terrorists”, writes Camilla Tominey.

       Although Westminster’s chief sleaze inquisitor originally found that Mr Johnson had breached the MPs’ code of conduct for not having “fulfilled conscientiously” the requirements for registering the ￡15,000 accommodation, this was later overturned by the Committee on Standards that assesses her recommendations.

       Yet eyebrows were raised when Ms Stone took months to make a ruling on the probe into the Christmas trip, where Mr Johnson proposed to Carrie Symonds, compared to the mere days it took to rectify a failure by Chris Bryant, the Labour MP and chairman of the standards committee, to disclose a trip to Poland he had undertaken in 2019.

       Read more from Camilla here

       The thousands of delegates at Cop26 might just be choking on their Scottish smoked salmon. Campaigners have accused organisers of the Glasgow climate summit of serving up environmentally unfriendly salmon supplied by a US-owned fish farm.

       Loch Duart Ltd is the only salmon farm in Scotland to receive two enforcement notices this year over its failure to control outbreaks of damaging sea lice, while it also removed the term “sustainable” from its marketing literature after a ruling from the Advertising Standards Agency.

       Feargal Sharkey, the singer turned rivers campaigner, tweeted to his 64,000 followers: “Oh dear, oh dear. The salmon farm used to supply Cop26 was served with not one but two enforcement notices by the Scottish government in 2021. So much for sustainability.”

       The campaigning charity Salmon and Trout Conservation Trust said it was wrong for Cop26 to be offering farmed salmon and “inexcusable” to be sourcing it from Loch Duart.

       Read more on that here.

       One of Britain’s most eminent scientists has resigned from Sage, after calling for stronger action to prevent the spread of Covid.

       Sir Jeremy Farrar, the director of the Wellcome Trust, has quit the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), warning that the situation in the UK is “concerning”. Two weeks ago, he called for a “Vaccine Plus” strategy, urging the public to wear masks in shops and on public transport, and to reduce the numbers at work at any one time.

       In a statement to Sky news on Tuesday night, Sir Jeremy said: “The Covid-19 crisis is a long way from over, with the global situation deeply troubling.

       “The high levels of transmission seen in the UK remain concerning, but I stepped down as a participant of Sage knowing ministers had been provided with most of the key science advice needed over the winter months.

       “Throughout this crisis Sage has provided vital evidence, and independent, expert, transparent advice to support the UK response, often under huge pressure.”

       Boris Johnson will attempt to reform the House of Commons standards watchdog following its decision to ban Owen Paterson, the former Cabinet minister, from Parliament.

       Tory MPs and ministers will be ordered by the Government's whips to support a backbench motion which could lead to the Commons standards committee system being disbanded and replaced with a new body.

       Ministers believe this unprecedented move could lead to the resignation of Kathryn Stone, the Commons standards commissioner, who has been accused of bias against Tories and Brexiteers.

       John Whittingdale, the former Conservative culture secretary, has been lined up to chair a new nine-strong select committee nominated by the Government, which is likely to redraw the rules on MPs' conduct.

       MPs had been expected to vote on a proposal that Mr Paterson be banned from the Commons for 30 days for alleged breaches of lobbying rules, which could have led to him facing a by-election.

       Boris Johnson has left Glasgow behind and returns to Westminster for what is likely to be a rowdy day - not least because he will face Labour's deputy leader at the dispatch box.

       Angela Rayner is standing in for Sir Keir Starmer, who tested positive for Covid last Wednesday and it's the first time the two have clashed since the Ashton-under-Lyne MP apologised for scumgate.

       But the real drama is likely to come thereafter, when MPs begin a debate that could determine Owen Paterson's fate. Here is today's front page.

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