MPs BACK controversial Partygate report into Boris Johnson
MPs BACK Partygate report into Boris: Commons approves rebuke for Johnson by 354 to seven after FIVE HOUR debate ends with Labour forcing a vote – despite ex-PM’s allies branding the process a ‘farce’
MPs backed the Partygate report into Boris Johnson tonight despite his allies branding the process a ‘farce’.
The Commons endorsed the Privileges Committee’s conclusions by 354 to seven after Labour forced a formal vote.
The division followed a bad-tempered five hour debate during which Keir Starmer’s MPs, the SNP and Lib Dems lined up to slam Mr Johnson.
A number of Tories also hit out at their former colleague – who was marking his 59th birthday – but Rishi Sunak opted to stay away from the clashes.
In the end the bulk of Conservatives appear to have abstained, with Mr Johnson having urged his supporters not to bother participating.
The Labour chief whip objected to the motion in order to force the vote, otherwise it could have been ‘nodded through’. The Opposition also seemingly provided ‘tellers’ for the Noes – or else the division could not have gone ahead.
There were jeers of ‘who are they’ as the result was read out in the chamber.
The 90 day suspension recommended in the cross-party committee’s report is theoretical because Mr Johnson has already quit – but he will now be banned from holding the Parliamentary pass typically granted to former MPs.
A crunch debate was held on the Privileges Committee’s damning conclusions today – Boris Johnson’s 59th birthday
Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt signalled her support for the controversial conclusions of the Privileges Committee
The Commons endorsed the committee’s conclusions by 354 to seven after Labour forced a formal vote
There had been speculation that the recommendations – including banning Mr Johnson from holding a Parliamentary pass – would just be ‘nodded through’
Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt kicked off the bitter Commons showdown at around 4.20pm by signalling her support for the conclusions of the Privileges Committee.
She also appealed for members not to try to bully colleagues into taking a side on the issue.
Bassetlaw MP Brendan Clarke-Smith initially said he would vote against the report, but sniped today that he would not bother because the debate was a ‘farce’.
Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg asked the committee’s Labour chair Harriet Harman why she had not stepped down when it was revealed she had branded Mr Johnson as a liar in tweets last year.
However, Ms Harman revealed in reply that she had offered to step aside, but had been cleared to continue in her role on the Tory-majority committee by Mr Johnson’s own government.
Lia Nici, a staunch ally of Mr Johnson, insisted the ex-PM ‘did not knowingly or intentionally mislead this House’ over Partygate.
She told MPs: ‘Sadly I believe that unelected officials – some of them, because many, many are very, very good and very professional – but some of them made a choice not to inform the then prime minister because they wanted to cover their own backs, I’m very, very sad to say.’
Fellow Tory MP Dr Caroline Johnson, a former minister, said: ‘Today we’re asked to vote on a sanction based in part on a statement that Boris Johnson was ‘complicit in a campaign of abuse and attempted intimidation of the committee’.
‘That is a very serious allegation, but having read the report I don’t see where that is evidenced.’
Don Valley MP Nick Fletcher, who said he would vote against the motion, urged MPs to remember Mr Johnson is ‘human’ and ‘nearly died’ during Covid.
He insisted bodies like the Privileges Committee were ‘set up to fail’, adding: ‘Let me use a football analogy: if Man City’s star player had to sit in front of seven of his peers for the hearing, how fair would it be if three of the committee were Man United players? Not very. I think if we are going to use MPs as committee members, which I think we should, then they must be of the same party.’
However, more senior Tories spoke against Mr Johnson, including former PM Theresa May and ex-Cabinet minister Andrea Leadsom.
There had been speculation that the recommendations – including banning Mr Johnson from holding a Parliamentary pass – would just be ‘nodded through’.
However, Tories complained that Sir Keir had decided to make the issue ‘partisan’ and ‘nasty’. Labour sources said they also expect a division.
Both sides are anticipating many hours of clashes in the House, with the debate potentially ‘going the distance’ from around 4.30pm until 10pm.
The early debate was dominated by Labour and Tory opponents of Mr Johnson – including Theresa May – announcing they would vote in support of the report.
Pressed in the chamber on her own position, Ms Mordaunt said: ‘As the member for Portsmouth North I will be voting to support the committee’s report and recommendations.
Jacob Rees-Mogg (left) was among a handful of MPs who spoke up for Mr Johnson, asking Privileges Committee chairwoman Harriet Harman (right) why she had not stepped down after branding the ex-PM as a liar in tweets last year.
‘But all members need to make up their own minds and others should leave them alone to do so.’
Mr Sunak effectively washed his hands of the situation, saying it is a matter for the House rather than government and he did not want to ‘influence’ anyone.
The premier was due to be entertaining his Swedish counterpart in Downing Street this afternoon and then at a function this evening, giving him a get-out from participating.
Speaking to Good Morning Britain on ITV, Mr Sunak said: ‘This committee was established under the former Prime Minister. It commanded the confidence of the house at the time and I’m sure that they have done their work thoroughly and I respect them for that.
‘This is a matter for the house rather than the government, that’s an important distinction and that is why I wouldn’t want to influence anyone in advance of that vote.
‘It will be up to each and every individual MP to make a decision of what they want to do when the time comes, it’s important the government doesn’t get involved in that because it is a matter for parliament and members as individuals, not as members as government.’
It comes as Scotland Yard is ‘considering’ footage that emerged over the weekend from a 2020 Christmas gathering at Conservative Party headquarters.
Mr Johnson furious condemned the report, but his allies had been urged not to oppose it on the basis that the sanctions have no practical effect.
In a controversial 108-page report, the cross-party group of MPs recommended a 90-day suspension for Mr Johnson’s ‘repeated contempts’ of Parliament had he not pre-emptively resigned. It also says he should be denied the parliamentary pass usually given to former MPs.
The Conservative former leader dismissed the findings of the committee, which he likened to a ‘kangaroo court,’ as smacking of ‘bias’ – attacks which led it to recommend a harsher sanction against him.
The debate came after the Sunday Mirror obtained a video appearing to show Conservative staff dancing and joking about Covid restrictions at the height of the pandemic.
Both former London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey and Tory aide Ben Mallet – who were handed a peerage and an OBE, respectively – attended the gathering.
Rishi Sunak effectively washed his hands of the Commons process and did not come to the House for the debate
Michael Gove told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg the pair should not be stripped of their honours because rules allow outgoing prime ministers to make such appointments.
The Metropolitan Police, which previously investigated the gathering and claimed there was ‘insufficient evidence to disprove the version of events provided by attendees,’ has said it is looking at the video.
A spokesman for the force said: ‘We are aware of the footage and are considering it.’
CCHQ said ‘formal disciplinary action’ was taken against four staff members, who were seconded to Mr Bailey’s mayoral campaign, over the ‘unauthorised’ event.
Mr Bailey had reportedly left the gathering when the video was taken and has previously apologised for his involvement.
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