Inside Politics: Ex-attorney general Geoffrey Cox accused of working second job from Commons office

Labour calls for probe into West Devon MP, claiming he may have breached parliamentary code, as PM makes early dart to Glasgow for second Cop26 visit, writes Matt Mathers

(PA)

Yesterday, Boris Johnson was accused of “running scared”. Today, he is charged with simply running away. After dodging an emergency Commons debate and refusing to apologise over the Paterson case, Downing Street has announced the PM will travel (by train) back to Cop26 in Glasgow later, leading some MPs to joke that he now sees Scotland as safer territory than London, such has been the frequency and intensity of “Tory sleaze” attacks over the past few days. Is he attempting to change the conversation? It remains to be seen how much Johnson can achieve by going to the climate talks two days earlier than had been previously planned, for what will be largely technical negotiations. That a report published yesterday predicted the world is on course for 2.4C heating by 2100 – even with all this year’s Cop pledges factored in – certainly provides good cover for an early dart north of the border. No 10 has bowed to pressure to undo its attempt to rip up sleaze rules over the Paterson scandal, which will take some of the sting out of the story. But the scrutiny on MPs who are raking it in on second jobs is likely to continue. Some Conservatives are said to be worried that Johnson’s refusal to take any responsibility for the mess has created a hostile environment in which the media will hunt for stories about the conduct of MPs and peers. Right on cue the Daily Mail, smelling blood, today promotes on its front page a two-page “special dossier” on the “truth” about Geoffrey Cox, “the dishonourable member for the Virgin Islands”. The former attorney general faces fresh allegations today that he used his parliamentary office to carry out private work.

Inside the bubble

The Commons is in recess until 15 November. The Lords sits from 11am with questions on hereditary peer by-elections, the EU/UK trade deal and building tensions on the Russia/Ukraine border. PM holds Cop26 press conference at 4.30pm.