Owen Paterson, the disgraced former Tory minister, has made a “spherical of the ring” weeks after leaving the federal government to get a second job as a advisor, openDemocracy has discovered.
Paterson resigned final week after discovered responsible of “egregious” violation of parliamentary guidelines by campaigning for 2 corporations when he was an MP.
He has been paid to seek the advice of with a well being diagnostics firm, Randox Laboratories, and a meat processing firm, Lynn’s Nation Meals, each of that are based mostly in Northern Eire.
Randox Laboratories, which received £ 479 million in COVID testing contracts, paid Paterson £ 120 an hour to behave as a advisor. The corporate advised the Occasions that the contracts that have been awarded with out competitors have been “on advantage”.
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Nonetheless, it has now been discovered that Paterson has additionally tried to get a counseling service from CIGA Healthcare Ltd, one other healthcare diagnostic firm based mostly in Northern Eire.
The corporate’s proprietor, Irwin Armstrong, advised openDemocracy that he was “fairly pleasant” with Paterson after assembly him as Secretary of State for Northern Eire.
“He known as me and requested if one thing was accessible,” mentioned Armstrong. “I mentioned we’re a small firm and we won’t afford to rent individuals for PR or no matter.”
He mentioned the dialog befell in 2014, “a couple of weeks” after Paterson left his final place in authorities as setting minister.
