Nadhim Zahawi admits errors made over Owen Paterson affair

Education secretary denies debacle calls Boris Johnson's judgment into question

The education secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, has accepted the government committed errors in its attempt to save the former minister Owen Paterson from suspension, but denied the debacle called into question the prime minister's judgment.

In a broadcast round, Zahawi accepted it was a mistake" to try to link overhauling the standards system that had found Paterson guilty of paid advocacy with a parliamentary attempt to preventing him facing the punishment of suspension.