Boris Johnson is bogged down in the crisis. British MPs debate and vote on Thursday on “partygate”, these parties organized in Downing Street during the confinements which have earned a fine for the Prime Minister.
Did the Conservative leader knowingly mislead Parliament? Given his majority, there is little risk that the House of Commons will approve the launch of a parliamentary procedure that might push him to resign. But this debate, which will above all give an idea of the level of support of his troops, prevents Boris Johnson, determined to stay in power, from turning the page on this scandal.
The case, which for a time took a back seat due to the war in Ukraine, was revived last week when he was fined for breaching anti-Covid restrictions. He had participated in a surprise party for his 56th birthday in June 2020, becoming the first British head of government in office sanctioned for breaking the law.
Johnson plans to stay on
Visiting India, he will be absent from Parliament on Thursday.
However, he repeated that he wanted to stay in office until the next legislative elections scheduled for 2024 and focus on “the things that matter” to voters, according to comments reported by British media present with him on the plane.
On Tuesday, Boris Johnson repeated his “unreserved” apologies to MPs and Britons. He said that it “did not occur to him” that this gathering, of ten minutes at most according to him, “might constitute a violation of the rules” then in force.
Motion tabled by the opposition
Not enough to convince the opposition, which tabled a motion for debate in the House of Commons. It will be whether the Prime Minister knowingly misled Parliament by repeatedly telling the Palace of Westminster that he had followed all the rules.
The motion is unlikely to pass given the large Conservative majority in the House of Commons. Many MPs who had once called for the departure of Boris Johnson also believe that it is now inappropriate to chase him from Downing Street in the context of the war in Ukraine.
The debate will, however, allow potential slingers to declare themselves. And the attitude of elected Conservatives, torn between loyalty to their leader and voter anger, will be scrutinized as local elections approach on May 5.
The government wants to buy time
Trying to appease the spirits and gain time, the government tabled an amendment on its side to postpone until following the conclusion of the police investigation and a separate administrative investigation the vote on the transfer of the case to the Committee of Privileges, a parliamentary committee in charge of this kind of questions.
Seized, this committee can investigate and, if necessary, recommend sanctions, the extent and scope of which are not clear. But the ministerial code provides that a minister who knowingly misled Parliament must resign.
At the heart of the critics
“We urge Tory MPs to do the right thing: to respect the sacrifice of their constituents during the pandemic, to say the public was right to play by the rules,” Labor leader Keir Starmer said.
The opposition leader on Tuesday called Boris Johnson a “man without shame”, calling on majority MPs to get rid of their leader to restore “decency, honesty and integrity” in British political life.
The head of government also came under harsh criticism from within his own camp, with Conservative MP Mark Harper saying he was no longer “worthy” of being prime minister.
Other possible penalties
In addition to a possible parliamentary inquiry, Boris Johnson is not immune to new fines for his participation in at least five other festive events, according to the press.
He will also have to face, on a date still unknown, the conclusions of senior civil servant Sue Gray, who has already squashed in a pre-report of “errors of leadership and judgment”.
This article has been published automatically. Sources: ats / afp
