Minister ‘regrets’ bid to change standards rules to spare Owen Paterson

Steve Barclay seeks to heal rift between No 10 and furious Tory backbenches and senior ministers

A cabinet minister has expressed regret and admitted it was a mistake to try to spare a Tory MP from suspension by ripping up the standards system in a move that sparked a huge backlash from colleagues and the public.

Steve Barclay, the chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, avoided directly apologising, but sought to heal the huge rift between Downing Street and both backbench Conservatives and senior ministers, who are still furious at the government's actions last week.