Boris Johnson formally steps down as MP
Boris Johnson has formally stepped down as an MP, parliamentary authorities have announced, bringing down the curtain on a tumultuous second stint in the Commons.
Johnson has accepted the post of crown steward and bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds, the government said, part of the convoluted process under which MPs resign.
It brings to an end his eight years as MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip in west London. Since being ousted in July last year Johnson has spent large amounts of time abroad earning money through speeches and going on holiday.
He has made at least 10 trips outside the UK in the last year, spending about 70 days out of the country, including when parliament has been sitting, and leading to calls for him to spend more time representing his constituents in the Commons.
The former prime minister has earned more than £4m since leaving Downing Street from speeches and an advance for a book.
He has been travelling in Singapore, India, Portugal, Nigeria and the US to make speeches, as well as taking holidays in Greece, Slovenia and at least four weeks in the Dominican Republic over the last year. He has also missed more than 100 parliamentary votes since September.
Johnson will now lose his £84,000 salary as an MP but keep the six-figure annual allowance available to all former prime ministers. The £115,000 a year payments are made for the specific purpose of former prime ministers “continuing to fulfil public duties”.
Johnson’s departure as an MP is the second time he has left parliament, serving first from 2001 to 2008 as the MP for Henley until he stepped down to take over as London mayor.
Rules dating back to 1624 state that MPs can only leave their seats as a result of death, expulsion or disqualification and cannot voluntarily step down. They have to instead accept a paid crown office, which automatically disqualifies them.
“The chancellor of the exchequer has this day appointed Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson to be steward and bailiff of the Three Hundreds of Chiltern,” a statement by the Treasury said.
Johnson announced on Friday evening he was stepping down as an MP to pre-empt a damning verdict from the Commons privileges committee into whether he misled parliament over lockdown-breaking parties.
Also on Friday, two close allies of Johnson, Nadine Dorries and Nigel Adams, resigned their seats after apparent confusion over whether they could be made peers in Johnson’s resignation honours list and remain in the Commons until a general election.
Disagreement between Johnson and Rishi Sunak over these arrangements sparked a bitter war of words between the pair.
A Treasury statement sent just before Johnson’s announcement said Adams had been made steward and bailiff of the manor of Northstead, the other crown office used for such purposes.
MPs stepping down only need to hold the posts momentarily, which means Dorries can formally leave the Commons very soon as well.
The resignations set up a trio of difficult byelections for Sunak. Labour, which trailed Johnson by just over 7,200 votes at the 2019 election, are clear favourites for his seat, and are targeting Adams’ Selby and Ainsty constituency despite his 20,000 majority.
Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats hope to push for the Mid Bedfordshire seat of Dorries, despite a near-25,000 majority, with the Lib Dems tipped by bookmakers as more likely to win.