How Boris Johnson could ‘get away’ with misleading Parliament

Boris Johnson clashes with Beth Rigby over Partygate probe

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Boris Johnson’s tenure as Prime Minister is in grave danger as MPs approve an investigation into his conduct in Parliament. Mr Johnson is accused of misleading the House of Commons with statements declaring he was unaware of parties taking place in Downing Street which he is now known to have attended.

The PM has said he has “nothing to hide” after the Government u-turned on allowing the vote in the Commons over whether to set up an inquiry into whether the Prime Minister misled parliament.

Defending Mr Johnson in the debate, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Ellis said: “There is a difference between a deliberate and an inadvertent situation and I think most people would accept that.”

But it seems many MPs don’t agree and there were no objects when the deputy Speaker Nigel Evans called the vote, meaning the motion is ‘nodded through’.

Now, a privileges committee of seven cross-party MPs, which exists to investigate the conduct of MPs who are suspected to have committed a “contempt” and breached parliamentary privilege, will decide whether Mr Johnson is guilty of misleading the house.

To be in contempt of the house, an MP must be found to have obstructed Parliament from performing its duties – and the making of a deliberately misleading statement is one way of doing this.

Mr Johnson, who avoided the debate in Commons yesterday while he makes a crucial trade trip to India, has been accused of doing just that on four different occasions in relation to lockdown busting parties.

His defence is that he was not aware be misled MPs, and he believed at the time that attending a party was within Covid rules.

But despite being found to have broken the law and being fined by the police, making him the first sitting British Prime Minister to have been found to have broken the law, one former minister says Mr Johnson is expected to get off scot-free.

They said: “I think Boris has got away with it. The most likely scenario now is that he leads us into the next election. But what happens then, no one knows.”

What will happen if Boris is found to have misled Parliament?

If Mr Johnson were to be found guilty, the privileges committee could suggest sanctions including oral or written apologies, suspension from the House – which would take effect immediately – or even expulsion.

However, the advice given on a decision is not binding, and any punishment would go to a vote in the House of Commons.

Being found to have knowingly misled parliament is a grave offence in British politics, and the pressure on Mr Johnson to resign would be enormous.

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However, a resignation would not be forced on the Prime Minister.

Being found to have misled Parliament usually results in resignation, as it is considered the honourable thing to do.

But as we have seen from his response to multiple Downing Street scandals, Mr Johnson is unlikely to resign for his wrongdoings.

The outcome will depend on the reaction from Tory MPs. If a sizeable number publicly declare they no longer want Mr Johnson as their leader, Mr Johnson could eventually bow to the pressure.

Alternatively, if enough MPs write letters to 1992 Committee, the Tory party backbench alliance, a vote of no confidence could be thrust upon the Prime Minister.

If 15 percent, or 54 of the 361 Tories who currently reside within the House of Commons send letters, they can call a leadership challenge.

Mark Harper has already come forward to publicly declare he has submitted his, joined by William Wragg who also confirmed he had submitted a letter of no confidence in Mr Johnson’s leadership.

He said in a scathing attack on the PM in the House of Commons: “I cannot reconcile myself to the prime minister’s continued leadership of our country and the Conservative Party. It is utterly depressing to be asked to defend the indefensible. Each time part of us withers.”

While former minister Steve Baker, an influential Conservative MP who had a major hand in ousting former prime minister Theresa May, has condemned Mr Johnson’s actions, saying the PM “should be long gone”, adding: “Really, the prime minister should just know the gig’s up.”

But whether Mr Johnson can quell the rising storm is yet to be seen.

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