Hitchin MP Bim Afolami has reacted to the fury that prompted a government U-turn on Parliamentary standards, after the PM ditched plans to overhaul the system.

As Nub News reported earlier, following a torrent of disgust from many across the country, including furious Hitchin voters, Boris Johnson decided to reverse plans to proceed with a new committee chaired by a Conservative MP to review standards.

The about turn by the government came in the aftermath of a House of Commons vote backing a revamp of the standards watchdog, while blocking the suspension of Owen Paterson, a former government minister, accused of wrongdoing.

Hitchin MP Mr Afolami received heavy criticism from Nub News readers after voting with the government whip on Wednesday, in a move that had Keir Starmer the Labour Party leader slamming the government for sleaze.

However, speaking exclusively to Hitchin Nub News ahead of charing a keynote event at global climate conference Cop26 in Glasgow, Mr Afolami said: "It has become increasingly clear that the current standards procedures in Parliament are not fit for purpose and do not reflect the best practice in other sectors.

"Yesterday [Wednesday, November 3] MPs voted to create a committee to consider ways to improve the current system.

"This would include an appeals process as recommended by the eighth report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, consisting of an independent adjudication panel chaired by a retired High Court Judge."

Anger from many quarters, nationally and across Hitchin, came following the vote to overturn the standards commissioner and committee recommending Paterson's suspension from the House for a month after 'egregious' breach of lobbying rules.

If the suspension is rubber-stamped later this month ahead of parliament's recess, a recall petition will be triggered – which means if 10 per cent of Paterson's constituents in North Shropshire call for a byelection, it will happen.

"The amendment does not exonerate Owen Paterson," Mr Afolami insisted, adding: "Nor does it rewrite the current rules on lobbying.

"It is regrettable that the specific case of Owen Paterson and the reforms to the standards procedures have been conflated.

"I am very clear that MPs should not use public office for private gain and I am pleased that this morning the Government has committed to working cross-party to create a fairer standards system.

"It is vital that those who break the rules are held to account for having done so, but that must be under a robust system."