Lies in the “Partygate” affair?
Boris Johnson resigns from Parliament
06/09/2023, 10:08 p.m
Ex-Prime Minister Johnson is reportedly no longer a British MP – for the time being. Due to the “Partygate” investigations against him, he resigns his mandate. In his eyes he is being pushed to take this step. In addition to a bad mood at Johnson, this could also have political consequences.
According to a parliamentary committee, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has lied to the House of Commons and is therefore stepping down as an MP. Johnson announced in the evening that he was resigning from his mandate with immediate effect, according to reports from the British media. At the same time, he stressed that he had no understanding of the committee’s allegations in the scandal surrounding illegal lockdown celebrations in Downing Street.
The committee on the “Partygate” affair, in which MPs from Johnson’s Conservative Party are also represented, recommended suspending the ex-Prime Minister for ten days, it said. Johnson said he was very sad to have to leave Parliament, at least for the time being. But he was “pushed out of Parliament with outrageous bias” in an “anti-democratic manner” by a committee chaired by a Labor Party politician. It was an honor to serve as both MP and Mayor of London, the statement said. Johnson’s north-west London constituency is set to hold a by-election amid a slump in the polls for the Conservative Tories.
A parliamentary committee had previously handed over the results of the investigation to Johnson. The BBC reported on Friday that the members of the Privileges Committee had given the 58-year-old two weeks to reply. The “warning letter” lists points of criticism and the corresponding evidence, as well as the punishment that the MPs want to recommend.
The committee is investigating whether Johnson lied to Parliament over the Downing Street illegal lockdown party scandal. During the corona pandemic, government workers had repeatedly met in Downing Street and in authorities to celebrate with alcohol and music, contrary to the regulations. Johnson and incumbent Prime Minister Rishi Sunak were each fined for attending an event.