Fury over ‘rigged’ Partygate probe
Boris allies are incandescent at ‘vengeful’ parliamentary committee they claim is hellbent on kicking PM out of Commons
THE next Prime Minister will come under intense pressure over a ‘rigged’ investigation into Boris Johnson’s actions over Partygate, that could potentially lead to him being stripped of his right to sit in the Commons.
Allies of Mr Johnson describe themselves as ‘incandescent’ about the Commons privileges committee probe into whether he misled Parliament over Covid rulebreaking in Downing Street. The committee will start its work in September when MPs return from their summer recess – and as Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak enters No 10.
The Johnson allies dismiss the investigation as a ‘witch hunt’ and a ‘constitutional travesty’, pointing out the history of anti-Boris remarks by the seven members of the committee and arguing that it ‘moved the goalposts’ by changing the inquiry’s terms of reference to continue to pursue Mr Johnson even after he had been fined by police, apologised and toppled as Prime Minister.
The original investigation was supposed to establish whether Mr Johnson had ‘intentionally’ misled the House, but after he said he had inadvertently done so, it will now just seek to establish whether he misled the House – intentionally or otherwise.
The issue is likely to prove a headache for Ms Truss if the polls are correct and she becomes the next Prime Minister: despite being a Boris loyalist, she will be reluctant to stir up old divisions during her first days in power by being seen to attempt to intervene in the process.
Mr Johnson will be summoned by the panel to give evidence about his knowledge of staff gatherings that took place in Downing Street during lockdown and it will examine a number of events – some of which the Prime Minister did not even attend.
He initially told the Commons no rules had been broken, but corrected the record after the publication of the Sue Gray report detailing the No 10 breaches.
Despite Mr Johnson’s resignation as PM, the committee vowed to continue its work, saying: ‘The House charged the committee with this task and we are obliged to continue with it. Unlike other committees, we do not set our own agenda.’
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle is also facing criticism for giving the privileges committee the power to make it easier for Mr Johnson to face a by-election, as he stands accused of straying from scrupulous impartiality. If the committee finds that Mr Johnson misled the House, it could force him out as the MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip. If it administers a punishment of more than ten days’ suspension, Mr Johnson is open to recall, which could prompt a by-election in his west London constituency.
Earlier this year, Labour MP Chris Bryant, who was chairman of the committee, recused himself from the investigation after his ‘vocal criticism’ of the Prime Minister over lockdown breaches. However, other members of the panel have also made critical comments about the events that appear to pre-judge the conclusion of the report, including the new committee chairman, former Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman, who tweeted in April that Mr Johnson and then Chancellor Rishi Sunak ‘misled’ the Commons by accepting a fine for breaching Covid regulations.
Mr Johnson’s allies are particularly irate about the role of the four Conservative MPs on the committee, including Warrington South’s Andy Carter, who said Mr Johnson’s resignation was ‘in the nation’s best interests’ and was ‘the right thing to do’, and South Leicestershire’s Alberto Costa, who said there had been a ‘breakdown in good governance’ under Mr Johnson.
Newbury’s Laura Farris is a supporter of Mr Sunak who voted against Mr Johnson in the Commons confidence vote, after accusing the Prime Minister of presiding over a culture that facilitated ‘unethical and disastrous parties’.
The fourth Tory MP on the panel, Sir Bernard Jenkin, visited Mr Johnson in Downing Street before the Prime Minister’s resignation and told him: ‘It’s over.’ He urged him to ‘leave with dignity’ rather than being ‘forced out like Donald Trump clinging to power’. Tory MP
Sir Bill Cash has put forward a motion calling for the scrapping of the inquiry, on the grounds that it had been rendered ‘unnecessary’ by Mr Johnson’s resignation as Prime Minister.
The motion, which is backed by MPs including former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, argues that the resolution to investigate the matter was ‘now unnecessary and should be rescinded’.
An ally of Mr Johnson said: ‘This is a rigged investigation by a vengeful committee, which is dressing up a witch hunt in the clothes of a reputable inquiry. Calling it a stitch-up underplays it.’
The ally added: ‘Boris has already been investigated by the police and Sue Gray and apologised for inadvertently misleading Parliament. It would have been nuts for him to have done so knowingly, and he has already apologised to the House.’