Committee Rule Boris Johnson Lied To Parliament Members Over Covid Parties
A parliament committee decided on Thursday that Boris Johnson lied to MPs on purpose about lockdown-breaking parties during the Covid epidemic, which could have resulted in a 90-day suspension for him had he not resigned as a legislator.
Johnson was found guilty of “repeated contempts (of parliament) and… seeking to undermine the parliamentary process,” according to the Privileges Committee, which investigates violations of House of Commons rules.
In a stinging 106-page report, they claimed, “The contempt was all the more serious because it was committed by the prime minister, the most senior member of the government.”
“A prime minister being found to have purposefully deceived the House has never before occurred.
He frequently deceived the House on a matter that was extremely important to both the House and the public.
The seven-member group, which is predominately made up of members of Johnson’s own Conservative party, has the authority to suggest sanctions for breaking the law that must be approved by MPs.
Boris Johnson, 58, resigned as an MP just days before the report’s publication, sparing himself the humiliation of potentially having to compete for re-election in his seat and having to face his peers.
Borisconi
Johnson, who resigned as prime minister in July as a result of “Partygate” and several other scandals, said in his resignation letter that he had been the victim of a “kangaroo court” set up by his political rivals.
On Thursday, he continued to express no remorse, calling the report “deranged” and the 14-month investigation into his parliamentary remarks a “charade”.
He argued that it was “lawful, and required” for him to attend the Downing Street gatherings in question.
Boris Johnson issued a furious 1,700-word statement in which he declared, “This is a terrible day for MPs and for democracy.”
This ruling shows that no MP is immune from retaliation or expulsion on false charges by a small group of people who want them removed from the Commons.
“I have no disrespect whatsoever for the Parliament or the crucial task that the Privileges Committee ought to carry out.
However, the Privileges Committee’s use of its powers in this anti-democratic manner to carry out what is meant to be the climactic political killing is despicable and deserving of disdain.
The official spokeswoman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declined to respond to Johnson’s criticism, stating that the committee was “properly constituted…working at the direction of parliament.”
Boris Johnson‘s outburst was compared by the deputy leader of the main opposition Labour party, Angela Rayner, to “a toddler who has thrown his toys out of the pram because he’s been caught and he doesn’t like it.”
Max Hastings, who served as Johnson’s editor at the Daily Telegraph, claimed that the committee had exposed the former leader “for what he always was” and called for the public to once again have faith in elected officials.
Trump, the populist former US president, and Berlusconi, the late Italian prime minister, are referenced in his statement to the BBC. “We need to show that we reject the Trump school of life and the Berlusconi school of life,” he said.
“We don’t want someone like Borisconi in public life.”
Serious Disdain
Boris Johnson and numerous government officials were penalized by the police during “Partygate” for violating the social segregation rules that were put in place by the government to stop the spread of Covid-19.
Newspaper stories about drunken gatherings for months, including the night before Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, was buried in a remote location, sparked significant public outrage.
Boris Johnson was forced to leave as prime minister in July as a result of a ministerial uprising, while he continued to make political comeback hints.
The committee’s long-awaited report was even harsher than anticipated, especially in light of the punishment it would have suggested.
In Johnson’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency, in outer northwest London, the MPs had provisionally agreed to a suspension long enough to possibly result in a “recall” by-election.
But they determined that he was “complicit in the campaign of abuse and attempted intimidation of the committee” and that his critical remarks since giving testimony to the investigation earlier this year have made the sanction worse.
It was also “a very serious contempt” to disclose specifics of some of the report’s findings last week before they were released, they continued.
At the most recent general election in December 2019, Johnson, the populist architect of Brexit, led the Conservative party to a resounding victory, although he only received a majority of 7,200 votes in his own district.
The committee suggested that Boris Johnson‘s parliamentary pass be revoked because he was a former MP. On Monday, Johnson’s 59th birthday, a vote is required.
