A House of Commons inquiry over whether Boris Johnson misled MPs over Partygate is on course to coincide with a Tory party conference already seen as crucial in resetting his leadership.
With a slow trickle of criticism still emerging from Tory MPs this weekend, Johnson’s team are aware that the issue of his statements to parliament will drag on for months to come.
Together with two forthcoming byelections, it means the prime minister faces challenges that risk inflicting further damage to his reputation as a vote-winner and raising more questions about his conduct.
There are now concerns that an inquiry examining whether or not he misled parliament could fall either side of the autumn Tory conference at the start of October. It means the findings could either disrupt Johnson’s preparations for the event, or stall any reset he attempts to make there.
Officials for the House of Commons privileges committee have undertaken some initial thinking about how the inquiry will work, but the investigation cannot begin in earnest until the committee has completed an existing inquiry. That will conclude early next month. After terms of reference are set and evidence collected, there will be a period for the prime minister to respond to any allegations, through lawyers if necessary – a process that will take weeks to complete. One source said the process would take the publication date into the party conference season.
It ain’t over 'til it’s over …
The committee is likely to focus on a leaving event on 13 November 2020. Asked if there was a party on that date, Johnson told the Commons: “No, but I am sure that whatever happened, the guidance was followed and the rules were followed at all times.” The Gray report confirmed that an event had taken place. Some have been fined in relation to it. The prime minister attended and made a leaving speech. As the photographs published in the Gray report prove, he consumed alcohol at the gathering.
Oh for gawd sake, He said, no, there wasn’t a party. He’s already discussed he took a leaving event to be part of his duty as the employee’s boss. The police didn’t fine him, so I’d say they were of the same opinion.
Bunter is a proven liar. The majority of the government and by lack of action the majority of the 1922 Committee have sleaze running through them like a stick of Blackpool rock. It is clear to anyone with an IQ higher than the number of their teeth that what has been delivered is an attempted cover-up and it must be exposed and appropriate action taken using every means available. Bunter must go.
Text messages relating to an alleged lockdown party held by Carrie Johnson that was not examined by the Sue Gray inquiry are expected to be called in by MPs investigating Boris Johnson, Sky News understands.
Both the Johnsons could also be summoned to give evidence - in writing or in person - to the parliamentary privileges committee as part of its investigation into whether the prime minister knowingly misled the Commons by repeatedly denying any parties had taken place.
The texts have been flagged up to Cabinet Secretary Simon Case and allegedly show a Downing Street aide told Mrs Johnson her husband was on the way up to the flat on 19 June 2020, with her replying she was already there with some male friends.
Once is an accident, twice is coincidence, anything more is habitual …
The cross-party Privileges Committee, made up of seven MPs, issued a call for evidence after meeting on Wednesday. It said it would be seeking “witness information and evidence” and that hearings would begin in the autumn. The committee says it is willing to take evidence from people anonymously provided their identity can be verified. It says information may include evidence of “Mr Johnson’s knowledge of the activities in 10 Downing Street and the Cabinet Office under Covid regulations, from the occurrence of those events until now” and “any briefing given to, or inquiries made by, Mr Johnson relating to those events.”
The former appeal court judge, Sir Ernest Ryder, has been appointed as an adviser to the committee. He conducted a review into the fairness and justice of the House of Commons standards system in December 2021.
When stories of lockdown parties first emerged, Mr Johnson told MPs rules had not been broken in Downing Street - but opposition politicians have since accused the prime minister of lying.
After hearing evidence, the Privileges Committee will produce a report stating whether or not it believes Mr Johnson did deliberately mislead Parliament. If it finds he did, it can recommend a sanction which could include a suspension or expulsion from Parliament entirely. It could also recommend he apologises to the House. MPs will then get to decide whether or not to approve the report and implement the recommended sanctions.
The Privileges Committee is made up of seven MPs - two Labour MPs, one SNP and four Conservatives. However, the committee chair - Labour’s Chris Bryant - recused himself from the investigation as he had already commented publicly on the matter. The committee voted unanimously to replace Mr Bryant with former deputy Labour leader Ms Harman.
Presumably, as with the other reports so far, BJ will be found guilty of a minor misdemeanour and have his wrist slapped, which, of course, won’t bother the serial prevaricator at all.
Boris Johnson ordered to hand over vast cache of evidence to lies probe - full list
The Privileges Committee is investigating whether Boris Johnson lied to Parliament about Partygate - and will continue its probe into the Autumn despite the PM stepping down on September 5
The Privileges Committee demanded diaries for the eight days he attended Covid lockdown-busting gatherings in Downing Street - which led to more than 100 fines from police.
MPs also ordered photos, internal notes, the PM’s briefing packs, e-mails, resignation statements and door logs - and warned the list could be expanded further at a later date.
Powerful chair Harriet Harman, the Labour veteran, set an August 15 deadline for No10 to serve up the documents - before Boris Johnson hands his resignation to the Queen on September 6.
And she ordered the nation’s top civil servant to let her committee visit 10 Downing Street, to “inspect” where the parties happened.
Hearings with witnesses - who could include the PM and wife Carrie - are due to begin in September and insiders believe the committee will not report back until October or November at the earliest.
Boris Johnson could avoid any sanction from the committee if he chose to quit as an MP.
The Privileges Committee can find MPs in contempt of Parliament for “deliberately misleading” the Commons - such as War Secretary John Profumo who denied an affair in 1963 - and recommend they are suspended.
Investigations are rare. The last MP to face any sanction was Tory Justin Tomlinson in 2016, and the last investigated for misleading MPs was Labour ’s Stephen Byers in 2006. He gave an inaccurate answer “inadvertently” so there was no contempt.
Previous chairman Chris Bryant, who recused himself, has said the MPs will only have to prove Boris Johnson “knowingly” misled Parliament, not that he deliberately did so.
I think BJ will quit as an MP in order to avoid sanction and to start making money for a new house - unless he wants to evict his tenants …
Nadine Dorries accuses MPs investigating Partygate of ‘witch hunt’
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, one of Mr Johnson’s staunchest supporters, on Sunday tweeted: “If this witch hunt continues, it will be the most egregious abuse of power witnessed in Westminster. It will cast serious doubt not only on the reputation of individual MPs sitting on the committee, but on the processes of Parliament and democracy itself”.
Lord Goldsmith, who was given a life peerage and a ministerial job by Mr Johnson in the wake of voters dumping him as the MP for Richmond Park in 2019, tweeted: “The Partygate probe is clearly rigged. It is a jury comprised of highly partisan, vengeful & vindictive MPs, nearly all of whom are already on the record viciously attacking the person they are judging. It is an obscene abuse of power.”
In response to Ms Dorries’s comment, Labour MP Chris Bryant said: “Let’s talk about abuse of power such as illegally suspending parliament or doling out peerages to donors or tearing up the rules to protect Owen Paterson. The real abuse of power would be suspending an inquiry to protect your mate”.
The probe is being led by a cross-party committee with a Tory majority that chose veteran Labour MP Harriet Harman to lead it.
A spokesman for the Privileges Committee said: “There has been no change to the rules or to terms of reference. The initial report published by the committee is about process. The background paper on contempt was prepared by a senior clerk of the House of Commons. All clerks are strictly politically impartial. The report also publishes the advice from distinguished former Court of Appeal judge Sir Ernest Ryder. The committee has published this material as part of its commitment to transparency”.
Dorries is showing signs of paranoia. She seems to see enemies all around her and her beloved PM - first a treacherous coup and now a witch-hunt …
The staff have been contacted by a committee investigating what the PM knew, and one has agreed to give evidence - while another two are considering following suit, reports The Telegraph.
It is the clearest indication of what Harriet Harman, the Labour chairman of the Privileges Committee, has gathered as part of her investigation.
One of those being asked to give evidence said: “On the facts, he was definitely at lockdown-breaking events and he knew they were happening and therefore what he said to the House was knowingly inaccurate.”
Last month, Boris Johnson was ordered to hand a vast cache of evidence to the probe into whether he lied to Parliament over Partygate.
Hearings with witnesses - who could include the PM and wife Carrie - are due to begin in September and insiders believe the committee will not report back until October or November at the earliest.
