Boris Johnson, Former UK Prime Minister | Photo: Justin Tallis/Pool/AFP
This Monday (19), British parliamentarians approved a report in which former Prime Minister Boris Johnson deliberately lied about illegal parties celebrated during his confinement in the pandemic, in an attempt to turn the tide of a scandal so damaging to the Conservative Party. .
The long parliamentary debate took place on the day the former Conservative leader turned 59 and the disciplinary sanction came without much effect: Johnson was stripped of his parliamentary permit, which prevents him from accessing Westminster, a token privilege given to former lawmakers.
In the active but absent lower house of 646 members, 354 MPs voted in favor and only 7 voted against the recommendations of the “privileged committee” on the “participate” scandal, the results of which divided Conservative MPs.
Johnson’s detractors hope it will sever ties with the controversial politician.
But others have continued to defend him, predicting his return to the polls and his successor, Rishi Sunak, who has promised to restore political integrity to the government, but is mired in a historic crisis. Uncontrollable cost of living.
Instead of opposing the report, the former prime minister asked his supporters to vote, and several Conservative MPs walked out of the session.
Sunak did not participate in the session, which earned him much criticism from the opposition.
Former prime minister Theresa May announced she would vote against Johnson – who was her chancellor and successor – and urged her peers to “help restore faith in our parliamentary democracy”.
‘Subversion of Parliamentary Procedure’
After standing out as one of the architects of Brexit since the 2016 referendum, Johnson won in December 2019, the biggest electoral victory for the Conservative Party in decades.
However, after two-and-a-half years and several scandals, he was forced by his own party to resign as prime minister in July last year.
Parliament appointed a commission to investigate whether he had deliberately lied to MPs when he said he had always respected self-imposed anti-Covid rules during his 2020 and 2021 jail term.
The result was disastrous. The report established that Johnson had “repeatedly insulted” Parliament and attempted to “undermine the parliamentary process”. “There is no precedent for a prime minister being found to have deliberately lied to the House,” it said.
On June 9, before the results were made public, Johnson resigned as a member of Congress, denouncing the political tactics of his opponents.
Thus, he frustrated the Parliamentary Commission’s recommendation to suspend him for 90 days, which would lead to a humiliating electoral dispute for re-election in his district.
After that, he can only recommend to the commission representatives that he lose his parliamentary approval.
Back to politics
Sunak and his government hoped to turn the “Particate” side.
But on Sunday, December 2020, his efforts were undermined by a new video leaked to the media of Conservative Party leaders dancing at a party in full lockdown against the coronavirus.
They were “appalling” and “indefensible” images, Michael Gove, one of Sunak’s key ministers, admitted to the BBC.
In turn, Jacob Rees-Mogg, one of Johnson’s staunchest supporters, predicts that the former prime minister will make a re-election bid in a general election scheduled for a year and a half from now.
For now, the controversial conservative politician, who is a father for the eighth time, has returned to journalism, which was his career before devoting himself to politics.
He signed a contract with the Daily Mail to write a weekly column.
According to US website Politico, Johnson receives several hundred thousand dollars a year for his tabloid writing, adding to the millions from his speaking engagements since leaving office.
(AFP)
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Henry Blackwell is a contributor at Mediarunsearch.co.uk, covering a wide range of topics including news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle. He focuses on delivering clear, balanced reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current events and emerging developments. His work highlights stories that matter to everyday audiences, with an emphasis on accuracy, relevance, and accessible journalism.