Boris Johnson has revealed his decision to resign as an MP, efficient immediately, 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 outcome, Johnson informed his affiliation in Uxbridge and South Ruislip that he could be stepping down and triggering an instantaneous by-election.
The cross-party privileges committee, led by Labour MP Harriet Harman, had been analyzing whether Johnson misled parliament together with his statements that each one COVID rules and steerage had been followed by Number 10 during lockdown gatherings. If MPs beneficial a suspension from the Commons of 10 days or more as punishment for lying, Johnson would have confronted the prospect of a by-election.
In response to his resignation, a spokesperson for the committee stated that that they had “followed the procedures and the mandate of the House at all times and will continue to take action.” 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 assertion, the previous prime minister claimed the committee “have nonetheless not produced a shred of proof that I knowingly or recklessly misled the Commons.” Johnson argued that when he spoke within the Commons, he was saying what he believed sincerely to be true and what he had been briefed to say, like any other minister. Elementary accused the committee of getting an agenda to seek out him guilty, regardless of the details, and suggested that a “witch hunt” was underway to take revenge for Brexit and in the end reverse the 2016 referendum end result.
Johnson additionally used his assertion to criticize Rishi Sunak’s authorities for elevating taxes, not taking full benefit of Brexit, and never being Conservative sufficient. He hinted at a attainable return to politics, saying he was “very sad to be leaving parliament – no less than for now.”
Johnson’s departure from political life comes lower than 4 years after he gained an historic 80-seat majority and nine months after he was pressured to resign as prime minister following the collapse of assist within the government over partygate and the Chris Pincher affair. This marks the end of a bombastic political profession spanning more than twenty years, throughout which Johnson represented Henley within 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 record, called the treatment of the former prime minister “disgraceful.” However, many MPs welcomed his departure. Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said the British public are “sick to the again teeth of this never-ending Tory soap opera performed out at their expense.” Daisy Cooper, deputy chief of the Liberal Democrats, merely said: “Good riddance.”