Boris Johnson has revealed his choice to resign as an MP, effective instantly, following the receipt of a report investigating whether he lied to MPs about partygate. In a scathing statement, the ex-prime minister claimed that the privileges committee was intent on utilizing the proceedings in opposition to him to pressure him out of parliament. As a end result, Johnson knowledgeable his association in Uxbridge and South Ruislip that he would be stepping down and triggering an instantaneous by-election.
The cross-party privileges committee, led by Labour MP Harriet Harman, had been examining whether or not Johnson misled parliament along with his statements that each one COVID rules and guidance had been adopted by Number 10 during lockdown gatherings. If MPs recommended a suspension from the Commons of 10 days or extra as punishment for mendacity, Johnson would have faced the prospect of a by-election.
In response to his resignation, a spokesperson for the committee acknowledged that they had “followed the procedures and the mandate of the House at all times and will continue to do so.” They added: “Mr Johnson has departed from the processes of the House and has impugned the integrity of the House by his statement. The Committee will meet on Monday to conclude the inquiry and to publish its report promptly.”
In his lengthy statement, the former prime minister claimed the committee “have nonetheless not produced a shred of evidence that I knowingly or recklessly misled the Commons.” Save argued that when he spoke in the Commons, he was saying what he believed sincerely to be true and what he had been briefed to say, like some other minister. He accused the committee of having an agenda to find him guilty, regardless of the facts, and suggested that a “witch hunt” was underway to take revenge for Brexit and ultimately reverse the 2016 referendum result.
Johnson also used his statement to criticize Rishi Sunak’s government for raising taxes, not taking full advantage of Brexit, and not being Conservative enough. He hinted at a possible return to politics, saying he was “very unhappy to be leaving parliament – at least for now.”
Johnson’s departure from political life comes lower than 4 years after he received an historic 80-seat majority and 9 months after he was forced to resign as prime minister following the collapse of support within the government over partygate and the Chris Pincher affair. This marks the end of a bombastic political career spanning greater than 20 years, throughout which Johnson represented Henley in the Commons between 2001 and 2008, served two phrases as mayor of London, and returned to parliament in 2015.
Conservative MP Sir Michael Fabricant, who received a knighthood in Johnson’s resignation honours listing, known as the treatment of the previous prime minister “disgraceful.” However, many MPs welcomed his departure. Deputy Labour chief Angela Rayner said the British public are “sick to the back enamel of this endless Tory cleaning soap opera played out at their expense.” Daisy Cooper, deputy chief of the Liberal Democrats, simply stated: “Good riddance.”