UK Conservatives back down on lobbying plan overhaul

By DANICA KIRKA
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government is facing allegations of favoritism and corruption after a backlash from lawmakers and the public over efforts to rewrite lobbying rules and shield a member of Johnson’s party from censure. The Conservative Party lawmaker at the center of the dispute resigned Thursday after the government was forced to shelve plans to overhaul the disciplinary process for members of Parliament and block his suspension for lobbying the government on behalf of two companies that were paying him. The episode is the latest to fuel allegations that Johnson and his government don’t follow rules that apply to everyone else.