2023-06-19 03:29:39
And that on his birthday: This Monday, the British House of Commons is deliberating on the result of the parliamentary investigation into Boris Johnson’s statements in the Partygate scandal. The report released last Thursday gave Johnson damning testimony.
According to this, the former Conservative Prime Minister had lied to Parliament once more and once more when it came to dealing with lockdown violations during the pandemic at 10 Downing Street and other government agencies. The debate and possible vote falls on Johnson’s 59th birthday. His birthday three years ago also turned out to be fateful. Because he celebrated with cake despite contact restrictions, he later received a fine from the police. As it turned out, this was not an isolated incident: there was carousing and partying in government buildings while the country remained in lockdown. Scotland Yard imposed more than 100 fines on government employees in the so-called Partygate scandal.
But when pictures and eyewitness accounts became public, Johnson initially denied everything. All the rules had been followed, he claimed in Parliament. When that was no longer tenable, he stated that he had not heard anything regarding the celebrations. When it finally became clear that he had attended the party himself, he claimed that he had not noticed that the celebrations were illegal. The committee didn’t believe him.
The debate is now regarding whether the House of Commons will adopt the findings of the investigation and impose sanctions on Johnson. Johnson forestalled a 90-day suspension recommended by the committee by resigning from office. However, he is still threatened with the withdrawal of his parliamentary ID card, which ex-MPs receive. Johnson had previously vilified the committee as a “kangaroo court”. He sees the investigation as a witch hunt by Brexit opponents and personal enemies.
Commenting on the findings, he said: “This is rubbish. It is a lie. In order to come to this insane conclusion, the committee has to say a number of things that are patently absurd or contradict the facts.”
It is up to the deputies to decide who is right. Whether it comes to a vote depends on whether the report meets with any resistance at all. Otherwise it might be accepted unanimously without a vote. A vote might be uncomfortable for Johnson and for the current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak; for Johnson because it should reveal the true number of his supporters in the Tory Group, for Sunak because he would have to commit. So far he had avoided directly criticizing Johnson for his Partygate statements. A majority of Tory MPs are expected to abstain and the report to be adopted with the opposition parties voting.
Johnson’s career in the House of Commons is over for the time being even without the sanction. He has already started a new job as a columnist for the conservative tabloid “Daily Mail”. From now on he should make life difficult for Sunak with biting criticism from the comment columns.
However, his ambitious predecessor is not the only problem Sunak has to deal with. Rising mortgage interest rates and persistently high inflation are eroding the standard of living of people in Britain. So far, the government has found no remedy. The Tories also have to face four by-elections in the near future with Johnson’s resignation and three other departures. Polls don’t bode well. Sunak is unlikely to be in the mood to celebrate at the moment.
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