Boris Johnson faces ‘damaging’ report from MPs on his conduct

Boris Johnson is facing an “utterly damaging” report that will end the former prime minister misleading MPs about the Partygate scandal, with some Tories saying he should be barred from returning to parliament .

MPs on the House of Commons Privileges Committee met on Tuesday to discuss their report, with a person close to the panel saying: “It is completely, utterly damning – the most blatant cases of contempt One of the best I’ve seen.”

Some Conservative MPs want Rishi Sunak to bar Johnson from being on the party’s list of parliamentary candidates, bar him from applying for another constituency and return at the next general election.

Johnson announced on Friday that he was resigning as MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip after a cross-party Privileges Committee alleged he had engaged in a “political hit job”.

The committee is investigating whether he deliberately misled MPs after media reports of Downing Street parties held during coronavirus restrictions followed Covid rules at all times.

Johnson made the submission to the committee as late as Monday, near midnight, according to his spokesman, who said lawmakers on the panel would deal with his representation and report “immediately.”

But it means publication of the report in Johnson is now due for Thursday and a debate in the Commons on Monday, according to a person close to the committee.

Johnson urged the committee to release the report “to let the world judge of their nonsense”. Insisting that “there was no excuse for the delay”, he also complained that the committee’s “absurdly unreasonable rules do not allow any criticism of their findings”.

Conservative officials said the government would move on Wednesday to launch a parliamentary by-election in the seat of Johnson and his colleague Nigel Adams, who resigned last week as MP for Selby and Anstey in Yorkshire.

Sunak’s aides said it would be a matter of an internal Conservative Party process whether Johnson would be allowed to stand again as a parliamentary candidate.

Meanwhile, Johnson could block any possibility of a future move to the House of Lords if – as expected – the Privileges Committee condemns his actions as prime minister.

A former member of the Lords Appointments Commission said, “It may not be an outright disqualification, but it will be an important factor to be taken into account.”

Johnson said last Friday that the Privileges Committee did not believe his claim that he “did not lie” in the Partygate matter.

“They have deliberately chosen to ignore the truth,” he said, adding, “From the beginning their aim has been to convict me regardless of the facts. That is the definition of a kangaroo court.”

The committee will consider whether Johnson’s critical remarks, echoed by other Tory MPs who are sympathetic to the ex-premier, amount to contempt of parliament.

committee published a dossier of evidence In March that dismissed the former prime minister’s claim that officials told him that social distancing guidelines were followed during Downing Street gatherings held in the pandemic.

Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, answered “no” when asked by the committee whether he had given assurances that the guidance had been followed at all times.

Jack Doyle, director of communications at the time, also told the committee “no” when asked whether he had reassured Johnson that Covid rules and guidance were being followed at all times.

Martin Reynolds, Johnson’s principal private secretary during the pandemic, challenged the then prime minister’s plan to tell MPs in December 2021 that the rules had not been breached.

“(I) question whether it was realistic to argue that all guidelines were followed at all times,” he said.

Lying in the Commons is contempt of Parliament. Johnson’s spokesman declined to comment.

The committee’s findings are set to be debated – and voted on – by lawmakers next week, according to people familiar with the matter.

Chris Bryant, Labor chair of the Commons Standards Committee, said that since Johnson was no longer an MP, the real damage to the former prime minister would be to reputation.

Bryant said, “In practice there is nothing we can do except condemn and put orders on someone’s head.”

Many Tories are urging Downing Street to ensure that Johnson, who was dropped from the list of approved Conservative parliamentary candidates after stepping down as Uxbridge MP, is not allowed to contest a seat again. Is.

A cabinet minister bluntly stated that he would first have to “get on the list of candidates” before Johnson could return. A former cabinet minister said: “He will not be allowed to go back and should not be allowed to go back.”

However some senior Tory figures believe it would be wrong to provoke a new battle with Johnson.

A Conservative official said, “We should leave it to members to decide whether they should be parliamentary candidates, not stitch it up within the party.”

Boris Johnson is facing an “utterly damaging” report that will end the former prime minister misleading MPs about the Partygate scandal, with some Tories saying he should be barred from returning to parliament .

MPs on the House of Commons Privileges Committee met on Tuesday to discuss their report, with a person close to the panel saying: “It is completely, utterly damning – the most blatant cases of contempt One of the best I’ve seen.”

Some Conservative MPs want Rishi Sunak to bar Johnson from being on the party’s list of parliamentary candidates, bar him from applying for another constituency and return at the next general election.

Johnson announced on Friday that he was resigning as MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip after a cross-party Privileges Committee alleged he had engaged in a “political hit job”.

The committee is investigating whether he deliberately misled MPs after media reports of Downing Street parties held during coronavirus restrictions followed Covid rules at all times.

Johnson made the submission to the committee as late as Monday, near midnight, according to his spokesman, who said lawmakers on the panel would deal with his representation and report “immediately.”

But it means publication of the report in Johnson is now due for Thursday and a debate in the Commons on Monday, according to a person close to the committee.

Johnson urged the committee to release the report “to let the world judge of their nonsense”. Insisting that “there was no excuse for the delay”, he also complained that the committee’s “absurdly unreasonable rules do not allow any criticism of their findings”.

Conservative officials said the government would move on Wednesday to launch a parliamentary by-election in the seat of Johnson and his colleague Nigel Adams, who resigned last week as MP for Selby and Anstey in Yorkshire.

Sunak’s aides said it would be a matter of an internal Conservative Party process whether Johnson would be allowed to stand again as a parliamentary candidate.

Meanwhile, Johnson could block any possibility of a future move to the House of Lords if – as expected – the Privileges Committee condemns his actions as prime minister.

A former member of the Lords Appointments Commission said, “It may not be an outright disqualification, but it will be an important factor to be taken into account.”

Johnson said last Friday that the Privileges Committee did not believe his claim that he “did not lie” in the Partygate matter.

“They have deliberately chosen to ignore the truth,” he said, adding, “From the beginning their aim has been to convict me regardless of the facts. That is the definition of a kangaroo court.”

The committee will consider whether Johnson’s critical remarks, echoed by other Tory MPs who are sympathetic to the ex-premier, amount to contempt of parliament.

committee published a dossier of evidence In March that dismissed the former prime minister’s claim that officials told him that social distancing guidelines were followed during Downing Street gatherings held in the pandemic.

Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, answered “no” when asked by the committee whether he had given assurances that the guidance had been followed at all times.

Jack Doyle, director of communications at the time, also told the committee “no” when asked whether he had reassured Johnson that Covid rules and guidance were being followed at all times.

Martin Reynolds, Johnson’s principal private secretary during the pandemic, challenged the then prime minister’s plan to tell MPs in December 2021 that the rules had not been breached.

“(I) question whether it was realistic to argue that all guidelines were followed at all times,” he said.

Lying in the Commons is contempt of Parliament. Johnson’s spokesman declined to comment.

The committee’s findings are set to be debated – and voted on – by lawmakers next week, according to people familiar with the matter.

Chris Bryant, Labor chair of the Commons Standards Committee, said that since Johnson was no longer an MP, the real damage to the former prime minister would be to reputation.

Bryant said, “In practice there is nothing we can do except condemn and put orders on someone’s head.”

Many Tories are urging Downing Street to ensure that Johnson, who was dropped from the list of approved Conservative parliamentary candidates after stepping down as Uxbridge MP, is not allowed to contest a seat again. Is.

A cabinet minister bluntly stated that he would first have to “get on the list of candidates” before Johnson could return. A former cabinet minister said: “He will not be allowed to go back and should not be allowed to go back.”

However some senior Tory figures believe it would be wrong to provoke a new battle with Johnson.

A Conservative official said, “We should leave it to members to decide whether they should be parliamentary candidates, not stitch it up within the party.”