Boris Johnson claims the committee that found him guilty of misleading MPs over partygate is a «kangaroo court.» Credit: UK Parliament/AP
Boris Johnson faces revocation of his parliamentary ticket after it was found that he «deliberately» misled MPs about party gates, prompting a furious reaction from the former prime minister.
In its long-awaited report, the House of Commons Committee on Privileges said a 90-day suspension of the House of Commons would be proposed if Johnson were still an MP.
In turn, Mr Johnson accused the committee of that it is a «kangaroo court» and its seven MPs are accused of delivering the «final stab in a protracted political assassination.»
Report released on Thursday morning On Monday, a decisive vote was held in which MPs could adopt his findings and proposed punishment.
Immediately after the findings, a small faction of pro-Johnson Conservative MPs took to Twitter to warn colleagues against supporting the report.
Nadine Dorries, former culture secretary, said Conservative MPs risk being «repealed» if the report's conclusions will be voted on, and James Duddridge compared the conclusions to Mr. Johnson being «put in the stocks». It remains to be seen how widespread such support for Mr Johnson is among fellow Conservatives.
Why not go all the way, putting Boris in stocks and providing rotten food to throw rotten food at him. The outcasts moved him around so that the country could share the humiliation. History will honor Boris higher than this committee. I thank him for his service.
— Sir James Duddridge, MP for KCMG (@JamesDuddridge), June 15, 2023 The events breaking the lockdown in room 10 were abrupt.
The committee said Mr Johnson should have known that Covid rules were broken at six different gatherings, adding that any «reasonable» person would have come to that conclusion.
It also says that he misled MPs in five different ways, on at least four occasions, saying that he was «disingenuous» at some points.
The committee questioning the basis of Johnson's original general assertion that the rules and recommendations were respected in issue 10, while noting that only two media advisers gave assurances in relation to one event.
Mr. Johnson's claim turned out to be wrong: the Metropolitan Police issued 126 Covid violation tickets over at least eight public facility events in 2020 and 2021.
The committee also noted his scathing criticism of the investigation, saying it represented another «very serious disrespect» and «an attack on our democratic institutions.»
The report concluded that the former prime minister had «closed his mind to the truth». One part read: «Mr. Johnson is adamant that he considered important all the events that he attended and of which he was directly aware.»
«This belief, which he continues to assert, has no reasonable grounds neither in rules nor in facts. A reasonable person, looking at events and rules, would not believe what Mr. Johnson professes. >As soon as the report was released at 9 a.m. Thursday, Mr. Johnson released a 1,700-word statement rebutting the findings.
He wrote: “This is a terrible day for deputies and for democracy. This decision means that no member of Parliament is exempt from vendetta or expulsion on trumped-up charges by a tiny minority who want him or her to leave the House of Commons.
“I have not the slightest contempt for Parliament. , or for important work to be done by the privileges committee.
“But if the privileges committee uses its prerogatives in such an anti-democratic way to achieve what should be the last knife — to reach for protracted political assassination — this is not worthy of contempt. The people of this country should decide who sits in Parliament, not Harriet Harman.”
Ms Harman is a former acting Labor leader who led the investigation. The committee included seven deputies, including four conservatives, which means that the conservatives had a majority.
The committee's proposed 90-day suspension is much longer than many expected. Any suspension of more than 10 days could result in a by-election.
Mr Johnson announced he was resigning as MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip on Friday, meaning he could not be suspended from the House of Commons because he remained.
The committee said it had already concluded that a suspension of 10 days or more was recommended before he resigned, although no initial figure was given. The 90-day figure was chosen after he left.
Boris Johnson goes for a run outside his Oxfordshire home on Thursday Credit : Leon Neal/Getty Images Europe
Now the focus is on Monday when a proposal for a report is submitted to the House of Commons, which could be a defining moment in Mr Johnson's hopes of a political comeback.
The exact wording of the proposal has not yet been released, but it is expected to give MPs the opportunity to approve the report's recommendations and the proposed punishment.
This means the House of Commons could formally conclude that Mr Johnson is in contempt of himself ( a black mark next to his name) and agree to revoke his parliamentary pass.
All former MPs receive such passes, which allow them to freely enter and leave parliamentary premises. No former prime minister is known to have faced such sanctions.
Downing Street will not push Conservative MPs to vote in any way, effectively meaning they were given full power to vote against Johnson if they so desire. .
With nearly all of the opposition MPs expected to vote against Mr. Johnson, only a few dozen Conservative MPs are likely to be needed — or perhaps even fewer if not all MPs turn up, — to vote against it. for a vote that causes him political damage.
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