Photo: Brandon Bell
Boris Johnson resigns as MP after accusing the House of Commons of investigating that whether he was misleading parliament through party gates to «exile me».
The former prime minister, in a media statement, compared the Privilege Committee's investigation to a «kangaroo court» as he announced his intention to step down from MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
He said that after receiving a letter from the committee, he believes he «decided to use legal proceedings against me to expel me from Parliament.»
Read his statement in full is below:
I have received a letter from the Committee of Privileges which, much to my surprise, clearly states that they are determined to use the legal proceedings against me to expel me from Parliament.
They still have not produced the slightest evidence that I knowingly or recklessly misled the House of Commons.
They know very well that when I spoke in the House of Commons, I said what I sincerely believed, and what I was instructed to say, like any other minister. They know that I corrected the entry as soon as possible; and they know that I and all the other senior officials and ministers, including the current prime minister and then occupant of the same building, Rishi Sunak, believed that we were working together legally.
I have been a deputy since 2001. I take my responsibilities seriously. I didn't lie, and I believe the Committee knows this deep down. But they deliberately chose to ignore the truth, because from the very beginning their goal was not to find out the truth or really understand what was on my mind when I spoke in the House of Commons.
Their goal from the very beginning was to find me guilty, regardless of the facts. This is the definition of a kangaroo court.
Most of the members of the Committee, especially the chairman, had already made deeply biased remarks about my guilt even before they saw the evidence. They had to withdraw.
In retrospect, it was naive and gullible of me to think that these proceedings could be even remotely helpful or fair. But I was determined to believe in the system and justice and stand up for what I knew was true.
That same belief in the impartiality of our systems led me to commission Sue Gray. It is clear that my faith was misplaced. Of course, the Labor Party, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP are doing everything they can to get me out of Parliament.
Unfortunately, as we saw last July, there are currently some Conservative MPs who share this view. I am not alone in thinking that a witch hunt is underway to avenge Brexit and ultimately overturn the results of the 2016 referendum.
My removal is a necessary first step, and I believe there has been a concerted effort to achieve this. I'm afraid I no longer believe it's a coincidence that Sue Gray, who investigated the gatherings at No. 10, is now the Labor leader's chief of staff.
I also don't see it as a coincidence that her supposedly impartial General Counsel, Daniel Stilitz KC, turned out to be a strong supporter of Labor, who repeatedly tweeted personal attacks on me and the government.
When I left office last year, the government was only a few points behind in the polls. Now this gap has widened significantly.
Just a few years after winning the largest majority in nearly half a century, that majority is now clearly in danger.
Our party urgently needs to regain its sense of momentum and its faith in what this country can do.
We need to show how we are making the most of Brexit, and in the coming months we need to develop a growth and investment agenda. We need to cut taxes on businesses and individuals – and not just as election gimmicks – not endlessly.
We shouldn't be afraid to be a properly conservative government.
Why have we so passively abandoned the prospect of a free trade agreement with the US? Why have we abandoned measures to help people find housing, abandon EU directives or encourage animal welfare?
We need to fulfill the 2019 manifesto, which was supported by 14 million people. We must remember that over 17 million people voted for Brexit.
Now I'm being forced out of Parliament by a tiny handful of people with no evidence to support their claims, and without the approval of even members of the Conservative Party, let alone the wider electorate.
I believe that a dangerous and disturbing precedent is being set.
The Conservative Party has time to regain its charm and ambition and win the next election. I hoped to provide active support as a Member of Parliament. The Harriet Harman Committee has set itself the task of making this goal utterly impossible.
The Committee's report is riddled with inaccuracies and reeks of bias, but in the face of their absurd and unfair process, I have no formal opportunity to challenge anything they say.
The Privileges Committee is called upon to protect the privileges of Parliament. This is very important work. They should not use their newly developed powers to deliver what is clearly a political blow to whoever they oppose.
However, no one is interested in the process started by the Committee continuing one more day.
So today I have written to my association in Uxbridge and South Ruislip to announce that I am resigning immediately and initiating an immediate by-election.
I am very sorry to leave my wonderful constituency. It was a great honor for me to serve them both as mayor and deputy.
But I am proud that, after a combined 15 years of service, I have helped, among other things, build the new and extensive railway on the Elizabeth Line and fully fund Hillingdon's wonderful new state-of-the-art hospital. where activation work has already begun.
I also remain very proud of everything we have accomplished during my tenure as prime minister: completing Brexit, winning the biggest majority in 40 years, and delivering the fastest vaccine from any major European country. as well as leading global support for Ukraine.
It is very sad to leave Parliament — at least for the moment — but what I am most confused and appalled about is that I could be ousted anti-democratically by a committee led and directed by Harriet Harman. , with such blatant bias.
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