Boris Johnson could face being banned from the parliamentary estate

Australia
By William

Boris Johnson faces ban from parliamentary estate after calling Commons Partygate inquiry a ‘kangaroo court’

  • Boris Johnson could be banned from the parliamentary estate after his comments
  • It comes after the former prime minister resigned from his last role as an MP on Friday
  • He quit after commission sent him ‘letter of warning’ about No. 10 covid gatherings

By Jason Groves

published: | Updated:

Boris Johnson could be barred from the parliamentary estate after describing a Commons inquiry into Partygate as a ‘kangaroo court’.

Members of the Commons privileges committee will meet this afternoon to complete their report alleging that he lied to parliament about Partygate.

The report could be released as soon as possible today, after Johnson stepped down as MP on Friday, saying he was the victim of a “witch hunt”.

He quit after the committee sent him a ‘warning letter’ which allegedly confirmed it will find him guilty of lying when he told MPs no Covid rules were broken at No 10 meetings.

The seven-member committee is said to be considering new sanctions against him, including withholding the Commons pass given to most former MPs, allowing them continued access to the Parliament estates.

Mr Johnson quit after the committee sent him a ‘warning letter’ which allegedly confirmed it will find him guilty of lying when he told MPs no Covid rules had been broken at No 10 meetings

The move could spell trouble for a number of prominent MPs, including Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, who said the committee's work

The move could spell trouble for a number of prominent MPs, including Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, who said the committee’s work ‘makes kangaroo courts look respectable’

Former Commons chairman John Bercow received a similar sentence following allegations of bullying.

The committee is also expected to consider sanctions against supporters of Mr Johnson who have publicly criticized Mr Johnson’s procedures.

Allies of the former prime minister believe the committee – which is headed by former Labor deputy leader Harriet Harman – is biased against him. All seven who decided Mr. Johnson’s fate had made disparaging remarks to him.

The move could spell trouble for a number of prominent MPs, including Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, who said the committee’s work ‘makes kangaroo courts look respectable’.

Guto Harri, Mr Johnson's ex-communications director, said it was bizarre that the former prime minister could be hounded by Miss Harman, a former acting Labor leader

Guto Harri, Johnson’s ex-communications director, said it was bizarre that the former prime minister could be hounded by Miss Harman, a former acting Labor leader

The committee is made up of four Tories, but Sir Jacob wrote in The Mail on Sunday yesterday that they ‘disregarded the chairman’s politics and naively agreed with her leadership’.

In his statement of resignation on Friday, Mr Johnson said it had been ‘naive and trusting of me to think that this procedure could be in any way useful or fair’. He denied lying to Parliament, saying the committee had ‘deliberately chosen to ignore the truth’, adding: ‘Their aim from the start was to find me guilty, regardless of the facts.

“This is the definition of a kangaroo track.”

A source in Whitehall said his comments were likely to be an “aggravating factor” as the committee considers its verdict.

Guto Harri, Johnson’s ex-communications director, said it was bizarre that the former prime minister could be pursued by Miss Harman, a former acting Labor leader.

He told Sky News: ‘Can you imagine a Labor supporter being happy if someone like, say, William Hague held the fate of Keir Starmer in his hands when he was caught drinking beer and eating curry with friends far from home in lockdown ?

“People will be thinking, ‘Whoa, a committee headed by the former Labor leader can get Boris out of office if the police found him guilty of a minor offense worth a £50 fine?’

Over the weekend, the commission accused Johnson of breaking rules by effectively leaking his findings and questioning their integrity.

“Mr. Johnson has… challenged the integrity of the House with his statement,” a spokesman said.

Q&A

What is the Partygate investigation?

The House of Commons Privileges Committee has spent 14 months investigating claims Boris Johnson lied to MPs when he said no Covid rules were broken at Downing Street lockdown rallies. He is believed to have been found guilty and recommended that he be suspended from parliament for more than ten days, which would have led to a by-election if he had remained an MP.

Can it still punish Boris?

Mr Johnson’s shock resignation as an MP on Friday night means he can no longer be suspended from parliament as he has already left. However, it is thought that the committee is considering other possible penalties, such as blocking his pass to the parliamentary estates, as happened to former chairman John Bercow over allegations of bullying.

Should Mr. Johnson decide to return to politics. Chris Bryant, the committee chair who backed down after earlier comments, claimed he would “just get suspended again.” But since there’s no precedent for this particular situation, it’s unclear if the rules would allow it.

A ‘kangaroo track’?

Mr Johnson and his allies have questioned the committee’s integrity, not least because Labor deputy leader Harriet Harman, who has publicly criticized him for his behaviour, is chairing it. Supporters of the trial point out that four of the seven members are Tories.

Can others be hit?

Some committee members are thought to want to see action against allies of the former prime minister, including Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, who said the proceedings ‘make kangaroo courts look respectable’.

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