First he is said to have celebrated during the lockdown and then lied to Parliament about it. Now Britain’s ex-Prime Minister Johnson has resigned as MP – he is following the recommendation of a parliamentary committee.
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resigned as MP with immediate effect. In doing so, he is following a recommendation from a parliamentary committee set up to deal with the so-called Partygate affair.
In a statement, Johnson also emphasized that he had no understanding of the committee’s allegations in the affair about illegal celebrations during the corona lockdown in Downing Street.
Johnson complained “more outrageous bias”
The committee, which also includes MPs from Johnson’s Conservative Party, 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 members of the Privileges Committee had given the 58-year-old two weeks to reply, the BBC reported.
Ex-PM allegedly lied to committee
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 authorities to celebrate with alcohol and music, contrary to regulations. Johnson and incumbent Prime Minister Rishi Sunak were each fined for attending an event.
Johnson had already resigned as party leader and prime minister after a series of scandals last year.
Johnson rewards Partygate guests with royal honors
Previously, Johnson published his Prime Minister’s Resignation Honors List. This is a list of people the outgoing Prime Minister will appoint as new members of the House of Lords or nominate for royal honours. This list shows that the ex-Prime Minister has rewarded several confidants, but also employees involved in the “Partygate” affair, with seats in the House of Lords and royal honors.
Johnson’s former chief of staff Dan Rosenfield and former London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey will be appointed to the upper house. Political friends such as ex-business secretary and arch-Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg and ex-home secretary Priti Patel will be allowed to wear honorary titles as Sir and Dame respectively.
Johnson’s former office boss Martin Reynolds, who hosted an illegal lockdown party at Downing Street, also gets a royal title. His once close colleague Shelley Williams-Walker, who DJed at a Corona party on the eve of Queen Consort Prince Philip’s funeral, becomes a lady.