Boris Johnson deliberately lied to MPs about lockdown-breaking parties during the Covid pandemic, a parliament committee ruled Thursday.
The Privileges Committee, which probes breaches of House of Commons rules, concluded that Johnson was guilty of "repeated contempts (of parliament) and... seeking to undermine the parliamentary process".
"The contempt was all the more serious because it was committed by the prime minister, the most senior member of the government," they stated in a damning 106-page report.
"There is no precedent for a prime minister having been found to have deliberately misled the House. He misled the House on an issue of the greatest importance to the House and to the public, and did so repeatedly."
The seven-member committee, which has a majority of MPs from Johnson's own Conservative party, has powers to recommend sanctions on rule-breakers that have to be voted on by MPs.
They recommended Johnson be suspended from parliament for 90 days. This is inapplicable since Johnson resigned as an MP just days before the report was released.
The committee also recommended that Johnson be stripped of his parliamentary pass as a former MP.
MPs are due to vote on that on Monday – Johnson's 59th birthday.
Unrepentent
In his resignation statement last Friday, Johnson claimed he was the victim of a stitch-up by his political opponents in a "kangaroo court".
He was unrepentant again on Thursday, calling the report "deranged" and the 14-month inquiry into his statements to parliament a "charade".
He insisted his attendance at the Downing Street parties in question was "lawful, and required" by his job.
"This is a dreadful day for MPs and for democracy," Johnson said in an angry 1,700-word statement.
"This decision means that no MP is free from vendetta, or expulsion on trumped-up charges by a tiny minority who want to see him or her gone from the Commons.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's official spokesman refused to comment on Johnson's attack, saying the committee was "properly constituted... carrying out work at the behest of parliament".
"Partygate" saw Johnson and dozens of government officials fined by police for breaking the social distancing laws the government set to curtail the spread of Covid-19.
It caused widespread public outrage and contributed to a ministerial rebellion that forced Johnson to resign as prime minister last July, though he still hinted at a political comeback.
(with AFP)
