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It took Boris Johnson鈥檚 government under 24 hours to perform a U-turn on its controversial plan to seize control of a parliamentary anti-corruption watchdog. But even in that short period of time, it put Britain through a serious gut check on its democratic values.

From within the governing Tory Party, former ministers such as聽聽lamented that the 鈥渕other of Parliaments鈥� had been severely damaged. 鈥淲e have lost our way and we need to find our moral compass,鈥� he said.

Across the political spectrum, leading political figures and prominent media lined up alongside opposition leader Keir Starmer, who described the prime minister as 鈥渃orrupt and contemptible鈥� for giving the 鈥�.鈥�

On its face, the scandal is about the manner in which the ruling Conservative government attempted to rewrite the rules so as to let one of its own members of Parliament off the hook. Owen Paterson, the man at the center of the scandal, had been deemed guilty by an independent cross-party committee of having taken payments from two businesses in exchange for lobbying government departments on their behalf. Even as the government proposed disbanding the committee, Mr. Paterson was allowed to remain in his seat and vote for the suspension of the system of checks and balances that had punished him.

But more deeply, the scandal has exposed a major breach of trust in British politics that 鈥渞aises some questions about the rule of law,鈥� says Daniela Nadj, research fellow at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law. 鈥淕overnments with a large majority can overturn processes and procedures because聽they鈥檙e not codified in a written constitution. That is problematic,鈥� she worries.

鈥淭he job of a British MP has no job description,鈥� says Andrew Russell, professor of politics at the University of Liverpool. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a series of people making it up as they go along and [using] convention [to set] down what鈥檚 OK and what鈥檚 not.鈥�

Misbehaving in broad daylight

Corruption scandals are not uncommon in British politics. In the 1990s, a series of scandals rocked the Tory Party, most notably when Sunday Times journalists rang the offices of two Tory MPs and offered cash in exchange for questions asked on their behalf in Parliament.

罢丑别听聽saw almost daily revelations across British headlines of members of Parliament using public money on anything from second homes to duck houses.

Patrick Diamond, a policy adviser at 10 Downing Street at the time, remembers that the general public 鈥渄idn鈥檛 blame one party; they thought this was a plague on all houses. It reinforced cynicism.鈥�

Dr. Diamond, now a professor of politics at Queen Mary, University of London, says the current scandal 鈥渂rings out issues鈥� simmering from the impression that Mr. Johnson frequently disregards the rules. During his tenure, he has been accused of trying to water down a report that examined whether Home Secretary Priti Patel bullied staff, and was found聽by the Supreme Court聽聽just weeks before a key Brexit deadline.

鈥淭his scandal resonates because it comes after several years where the rule of law has been challenged by Brexit, with the perceived undermining of the judiciary and the sense the government was prepared to play fast and loose in order to get Brexit through Parliament,鈥� says Dr. Diamond.

Journalists covering the government since 2019 have noticed a shift in the way British lawmakers do, and do not, apply rules to themselves.

鈥淩eporters of the past often had to dig into dark corners to uncover examples of corruption and wrongdoing. That hasn鈥檛 been the case with this government,鈥� says Sam Bright, an investigative journalist聽聽for face masks and medical gowns during the pandemic to offshore firms and companies owned by Conservative donors.

He says a pattern of behavior has emerged under Mr. Johnson鈥檚 populist-leaning government, 鈥渨hich has misbehaved repeatedly in broad daylight, from dodgy coronavirus contracts to the overt demonization of asylum seekers.鈥�

鈥淏oris Johnson鈥檚 government isn鈥檛 scared of being accused of wrongdoing, which, if you think about it, is quite a scary thing.鈥�

鈥淎 Conservative problem鈥�

Mr. Paterson has since resigned from his post as MP, but financial scandals continue to emerge around the Tories. It has since been alleged that a 拢3 million ($4 million) gift to the Conservative party is enough , the U.K.鈥檚 unelected upper legislative chamber.

While the Paterson scandal may not be significant enough to create fundamental change, it has shifted the current political popularity stakes, with Labour聽聽by a point in a poll of voting intentions. 鈥淲hile all MPs will be affected by this, this scandal is seen as a Conservative problem. The usually friendly media have been some of the sternest critics,鈥� says Dr. Russell.

Mr. Johnson remains comfortably in charge, but the scandal remains a setback nonetheless. 鈥淭he Conservatives have caught sight of themselves and seen how it looks,鈥� says Dr. Russell. 鈥淔or the first time, the government under Boris Johnson聽鈥� which has a sizable majority聽鈥� has seen how public support can ebb away.鈥�