Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson testifies before the Privileges Committee in March. Credit: PRU/AFP via Getty Images
Commons Privileges Committee concludes in 106-page report that Boris Johnson deliberately misled Parliament about his closed parties.
It took seven MPs, chaired by Harriet Harman of the Labor Party, more than a year to publish their report after the House of Commons first informed them of the behavior of the then prime minister in April 2022.
The evidence was handed over to the committee in written sworn statements and live hearings, including a drama marathon in March in which Mr. Johnson defended himself under oath.
90-day suspension
Boris Johnson would have been suspended for 90 days if he did not resign as an MP, the privileges committee said.
The unprecedented sanction could have triggered a recall petition that would have left him facing a by-election for his seat in Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
MPs said the sanction was more severe than it could have been because Mr. Johnson spent the past week deriding the committee as a «kangaroo trial».
Explaining why the sanction — much longer than the one faced by SNP MP Margaret Ferrier — was so high, the report says: «The disrespect was all the more serious because it was carried out by the prime minister, the most senior member of the government.»
Four Conservative MPs on the committee prevented the sanction from being changed to «expulsion» by voting against an amendment put forward by Allan Dorans of the SNP with the backing of Yvonne Fauargue of the Labor Party.
Forfeited the mandate
The Committee decided that Mr Johnson should be denied his passage to the House of Commons in light of his misleading Parliament.
They recommended an additional sanction that would be subject to a vote by all MPs because his resignation on Friday night meant he could not be removed.
All former MPs are allowed to pass through the Commons as former members, allowing them to socialize in various bars and restaurants of Parliament, even if they have retired from politics. It is extremely rare for a badge to be revoked.
The committee's report states: “In view of the fact that Mr. Johnson is no longer a member, we recommend that he not be granted a former member's badge. pass.
Five ways Johnson was found to be in contempt of parliament
In its opinion, the privileges committee listed five ways the former prime minister showed contempt of parliament.
They said that during the hearing he introduced mislead not only the House of Representatives, but the committee itself.
He also broke the committee's credibility by actually releasing his verdict last week. In addition, he was found to have «questioned the Committee, the honesty of its members and the impartiality of its staff and advisers» and was «an accomplice in a campaign of insults and attempts to intimidate» seven deputies. put him on trial.
Six events in which lockdown rules were broken
The committee report lists six events it claims demonstrates Mr Johnson knew of Downing Street breaking rules during the pandemic .
Five activities «had the primary purpose of thanking employees who worked hard or boosting morale after employees were laid off.»
The report mentions a garden party in Downing Street on 20 May 2020, which featured trestle tables and alcohol, as well as a farewell to Lee Kane, Johnson's outgoing communications chief, on 13 November 2020, which featured a picture of the prime minister. — minister. with a glass of wine in the air.
The events also include another farewell on 27 November 2020 to Mr Johnson's former assistant Cleo Watson, a Downing Street Christmas party on 18 December 2020 and a farewell party for two. personal secretaries, resulting in fines from the Metropolitan Police.
The sixth event was Mr. Johnson's own birthday, which resulted in fines for him and Rishi Sunak.
Johnson could not believe his own arguments
The report concludes that there was no way Mr. Johnson could really believe that these were «necessary for the job.»
They stated that it was «unlikely, given the balance of probabilities, that Mr. Johnson, in the light of his cumulative direct personal experience of these events, could sincerely believe that the rules or guidelines were followed.»
MPs stated that «in the a “thank you” place, an abandoned drink, a birthday celebration, or a motivational event are clearly neither essential nor reasonably necessary,” and that Mr. Johnson’s argument “has no sound basis in the rules of fact.”
He adds that “there was no apparent social distancing at any of the events photographed by the Committee” and that the Covid mitigation measures that Mr Johnson describes “are such marginal means as not touching pens or transfer things to each other, with the exception, of course, of alcohol.”
He intended to mislead the House
Deputies of the Privileges Committee concluded that Mr Johnson not only misled the House, but also intended to mislead the House misleading.
They listed a number of ways in which he was «disingenuous» in the investigation and stated that this amounted to «deliberately shutting down his mind, or at least acting recklessly.»
They concluded: «Someone who repeatedly recklessly and continues to deny what is obvious is a person whose behavior is sufficient to demonstrate intent.
“Many aspects of Mr. Johnson’s defense are not credible: taken together, they form a sufficient basis for concluding that he intended to mislead.
Sanction extended after 'kangaroo court' claims
The committee said it extended the proposed sanction — initially by just 40 days, according to «knowledgeable sources» close to the committee — because Mr Johnson attacked «decency, honesty and honor ” of its members in “biting terms.”
On Friday night, the former prime minister released a 1,000-word statement saying MPs had “anti-democratically ousted him.”
The deputies declared: “This attack on a committee exercising its powers from the democratically elected chamber itself constitutes an attack on our democratic institutions.
“We find these statements completely unacceptable. In our opinion, this behavior, along with a flagrant breach of confidentiality, is yet another serious act of disrespect.”
Johnson did not tell the truth to the selection committee
MPs also got mad at Mr. Johnson because he lied when he told them that does not believe that it was a «kangaroo court».
When he appeared before the committee, he stated that he had full respect for its members and tried to distance himself from allies who spoke of a «witch hunt.»
«We note that in our statement of June 9 Mr. Johnson himself used precisely such offensive terms to describe the Committee,” they said.
“This leaves us no doubt that he was insincere in his attempts to distance himself from the campaign of insults and intimidation of committee members. This, in our opinion, represents yet another serious disrespect.”
New report on committee abuse by MPs
The committee said it would release a special report on how some of Mr Johnson's allies questioned the committee's integrity . .
They stated that «constant attempts have been made, apparently coordinated, to undermine the credibility of the committee and, more worryingly, the credibility of those members who serve on it.»
“The Committee is concerned that if such behavior is not objected to, the House of Representatives will not be able to establish such a committee to conduct sensitive and important investigations in the future,” the report says.
“The House should have a committee to protect its rights, and this should protect the members of the House in fulfilling this duty from formal or informal attacks or subversive actions aimed at deterring and preventing them from fulfilling this duty.”
Informant
Downing Street officials have been ordered not to leave the building in groups as part of a «pantomime» meant to show they are abiding by lockdown rules, a public official said.
In recently released evidence, a public official said in an investigation into Boris Johnson's conduct, that number 10 served as an «island oasis of normalcy» during the Covid crisis.
An official said there was a «broader culture of non-compliance». on Downing Street, and especially in the press office, where Wine Fridays have continued throughout the crisis.
The civil servant also claimed that they were told at the beginning of the pandemic that there was no point in wearing masks, and they said that birthdays continued despite quarantine restrictions, and that table divider screens and one-way systems were not installed for a year.
An employee said: «Operational notes were sent from the security team to be mindful of cameras outside the door , do not go out in groups and maintain social distance. It was all pantomime.”
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