MPs ‘will find Boris Johnson lied to the Commons’ in incendiary Partygate report tomorrow – as former PM slams ‘kangaroo court’ that forced him to quit Parliament and warns: ‘I’ll be back’
MPs are set to find that Boris Johnson knowingly lied to the Commons when the incendiary Partygate report is released tomorrow.
Westminster is bracing for a seismic row when the Privileges Committee finally publishes its findings.
The cross-party group – with a Labour chair but a Tory majority among the seven members – is expected to accuse Mr Johnson of deliberately misleading the House.
Mr Johnson has furiously denied the allegation, and branded the committee a ‘kangaroo court’.
But he formally quit as Uxbridge & South Ruislip MP last night to avoid a by-election, likely to have been triggered by a suspension from the Commons of more than 10 days.
The defiant former PM made clear last night that he does not regard his political career as over, chanelling Arnold Schwarzenegger as he told the Express: ‘I’ll be back.’
Boris Johnson (pictured out running this morning) formally quit as an MP last night to avoid a by-election, likely to have been triggered by a suspension from the Commons of more than 10 days
The Privileges Committee is chaired by Labour’s Harriet Harman (left). Rishi Sunak (right) has been struggling to stop the row over Mr Johnson’s fate setting fire to the Tories
The committee has been assessing whether Mr Johnson ‘recklessly’ misled the House over Covid rule breaches in Downing Street.
However, it has gone further and decided he deliberately misled politicians, according to the Times.
The MPs have highlighted that Martin Reynolds, Mr Johnson’s principal private secretary at the time, advised him in December 2021 to remove a claim from a statement to the Commons that ‘all guidance had been followed at all times’.
The aide reportedly questioned ‘whether it was realistic to argue that all guidance had been followed at all times’.
Mr Johnson is said to have removed the line from his opening statement, but repeated the assertion during a debate later – which the committee reportedly views as evidence MPs were deliberately misled.
The ex-PM remained defiant in a statement as he confirmed he had stepped down from the Commons last night.
‘We must fully deliver on Brexit and on the 2019 manifesto. We must smash Labour at the next election,’ he told the Express.
‘Nothing less than absolute victory and total Brexit will do – and as the great Arnold Schwarzenegger said, I’ll be back.’
The message was reminiscent of Mr Johnson’s sign-off at his final PMQs appearance, when he said: ‘Hasta la vista, baby’ – the catchphrase of Schwarzenegger’s famous Terminator.
The Privileges Committee reacted angrily at the weekend after Mr Johnson branded it a ‘kangaroo court’ over its ‘biased’ investigation into claims he lied to MPs when he said lockdown gatherings in No 10 did not break Covid rules.
In a statement, the committee, chaired by Labour’s former deputy leader Harriet Harman, said Mr Johnson had ‘impugned the integrity’ of the Commons with his attacks.
Whitehall sources said the committee could also censure allies who have criticised its proceedings.
Cabinet Minister Michael Gove yesterday urged MPs to ‘respect the integrity’ of the committee.
But backbench Tory MP Sir Michael Fabricant brushed aside the warnings yesterday, saying that the committee had shown ‘predetermined prejudice’ towards the former PM.
Sir Michael said: ‘I do find the extraordinary pomposity of ‘if you don’t agree with us it is impugning the integrity of Parliament’ risible given the calibre of some of the people on whose behalf that comment is made.’
