PM faces another investigation
On 21 and 22 April, the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson made an official visit to India for talks with India’s prime minister Narendra Modi. At the same time, British Members of Parliament (MPs) voted to investigate Johnson. They want to know if he misled (gave false information to) Parliament about parties held at 10 Downing Street, his official residence, during lockdown.
Why was Johnson in India?
Johnson was invited to India by Modi to discuss several things including trade (see panel). The talks have been delayed twice because Covid-19 restrictions made it difficult to travel.
Why is there an investigation?
On 12 April, the police fined Johnson for being at a birthday party at 10 Downing Street in June 2020, which broke lockdown rules. On 21 April, MPs voted to investigate whether Johnson had misled Parliament. He had told the House of Commons that the law had not been broken at 10 Downing Street.
What will the investigation involve?
Johnson will have to appear in front of a Parliamentary committee, a special group of
MPs whose job it is to decide whether he misled Parliament. This will not happen until the police investigation into 12 parties at 10 Downing Street is finished, and a full report by Sue Gray (a Government official investigating the matter) is published.
What punishments could Johnson face?
MPs will decide what Johnson’s punishment will be. He could be suspended or banned from Parliament. The Ministerial Code (a set of rules for Government ministers) says that if a minister lies to Parliament they should resign. Many MPs have called for Johnson to resign, including some from his own Conservative Party. Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said, “Johnson has lost the trust of the public over parties held in Downing Street during lockdown.”