Lobbying for ‘naked bacon’: how the Owen Paterson scandal began

Route to resignation was marked out more than two years ago following a Guardian investigation

The route to Owen Paterson's resignation on Thursday afternoon was marked out more than two years ago, when in 2019 the Guardian exposed his lobbying on behalf of two companies from whom he has received at least 500,000 in payments.

Documents released following freedom of information requests revealed the MP had repeatedly demanded access to ministers and regulators on behalf of his paying clients. This raised the question of whether he had broken parliamentary rules that prohibit MPs from undertaking paid advocacy- rules that have existed in various forms since the 17th century.