Boris Johnson fears eviction from parliament over block party scandal
Boris Johnson, ex-prime minister and current MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, faces possible suspension from the House of Commons following an investigation into whether he lied to MPs about block parties in Downing Street during the pandemic. Johnson is being investigated by the Commons Privileges Committee, which could rule him in contempt of parliament. If this happens, he could be suspended by the House of Commons, which could trigger his potential eviction and a by-election at his constituency.
Johnson has 15 days to respond to the draft of the committee’s report, after which MPs will vote on any recommended sanctions. Some of Johnson’s allies hoped for a penalty of less than 10 days to avoid a potential recall petition, but his allies have grown increasingly uneasy in recent weeks.
Committee weighs up sanctions for Johnson
The Committee has not yet reached a final decision but is proceeding according to previously published procedure. If the committee decides to criticize Johnson, it will not reach a final conclusion until it has considered any additional remarks by Johnson. Johnson has criticized the process by which he is being investigated and has alluded to not accepting the conclusions if he is subjected to sanctions.
Leading by example
According to a person familiar with the deliberations, “When it comes to the prime minister, it is more important that he is held to the highest standards as he is the most senior of all ministers. There is an element here of the need to lead by example.” However, the person rejected any comparisons between Johnson’s potential fine and that of former SNP but now independent MP Margaret Ferrier, who was suspended for 30 days for violating coronavirus rules. The spokesperson noted that the two MPs faced different charges and were investigated by different committees. Ferrier is under investigation by the standards committee, while Johnson is being investigated by the privileges committee.
Summary:
Boris Johnson, MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, may face eviction from parliament following an investigation by the Commons Privileges Committee into whether he lied to MPs about block parties in Downing Street during the pandemic. If he is found in contempt of parliament, he could be suspended by the House of Commons, leading to a potential recall petition and by-election in his constituency. Johnson has 15 days to respond to the draft committee report before MPs vote on any recommended sanctions.
Article:
The potential eviction of Boris Johnson from parliament is a reflection of the increasing scrutiny that ministers face as they contend with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As the most senior of all ministers, the ex-prime minister is under even greater pressure to lead by example and be held to the highest possible standards.
The Privileges Committee, which is investigating Johnson for potentially lying to MPs about the Downing Street block parties, has sent a draft of its report to Johnson as part of its process, which allows him to respond to any criticism before the report is published. Johnson must respond within fifteen days before the committee delivers its final verdict to MPs, who will then vote on any recommended sanctions.
Although some of Johnson’s allies had been hoping for a penalty of less than ten days, the possibility of a recall petition jeopardizing his possible eviction from parliament has made his allies increasingly uneasy. Johnson has criticized the investigation process, claiming that he may not accept the conclusions if he is sanctioned.
The Privileges Committee has not yet necessarily reached their final decision, stating that it will proceed according to previously published procedures. If the committee decides to criticize Johnson, it will not reach a final conclusion until it has considered any additional remarks by Johnson.
While a comparison has been made between Johnson’s possible fine and Margaret Ferrier’s 30-day suspension for violating coronavirus rules, the two MPs are being investigated by different committees for different charges.
Nevertheless, Johnson’s, potential eviction, which could be triggered by a by-election in his constituency in the event of a successful recall petition, emphasizes the importance of ministers being held accountable for their actions during the pandemic.
Conclusion:
The ongoing investigation into Boris Johnson’s potential eviction from parliament highlights the heightened scrutiny that ministers face as they navigate the complicated landscape of the coronavirus pandemic. As the most senior of all ministers, Johnson is under pressure to lead by example and uphold the highest possible standards. While comparisons have been made between the potential penalties faced by Johnson and other MPs, each case must be judged on its individual merits. Nevertheless, the possibility of a recall petition and by-election in Johnson’s constituency demonstrates the importance of accountability and transparency in politics.
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Boris Johnson is closely examining the results of an investigation into whether he lied to MPs about block parties in Downing Street, as some allies fear he could face a penalty triggering his potential eviction from parliament.
The ex prime minister is coming investigated by the Commons Privileges Committee that he deceived parliament with his assurances that events in breach of coronavirus regulations did not occur at number 10 during the pandemic.
If the committee finds him in contempt of parliament, he could be suspended by the House of Commons. Were it for 10 days or more, he could face a recall petition which in turn could trigger a by-election at his Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat, jeopardizing his future as an MP.
A draft of the committee’s report has been sent to Johnson, the Times reported, as part of a so-called “Maxwellisation process” that will allow him to respond to any criticism before it is published.
Johnson has fifteen days to respond before the committee delivers its verdict to MPs, who will vote on any recommended sanctions.
Some of Johnson’s friends previously hoped he would escape with a penalty of less than 10 days — avoiding paving the way for a potential recall petition — but his allies have grown increasingly uneasy in recent weeks.
A person familiar with the committee’s deliberations said: ‘When it comes to the prime minister it is more important that he is held to the highest standards as he is the most senior of all ministers. There is an element here of the need to lead by example.
However, the person rejected comparisons between the fine Johnson could face and that imposed on former SNP but now independent MP Margaret Ferrier, who was suspended by the Commons this week for 30 days for a violation of the coronavirus rules.
Ferrier “is not the precedent because they are chalk and cheese,” the person said, noting that the two MPs had faced different charges and had been investigated by different committees. Ferrier faces a standards committee investigation, while Johnson is facing a privileges committee investigation.
A spokesman for the privileges committee said its MPs had not yet necessarily reached their final decision.
“The committee is proceeding according to the previously published procedure. Under this procedure, if the committee decides to criticize Mr Johnson, it will not reach a final conclusion until it has considered any additional remarks by Mr Johnson,” the spokesman said.
“The committee will then report to the House in the usual way, and it will be up to the House – not the committee – to decide on that,” he added.
Johnson has criticized the process by which it is investigated and alluded to a three-hour committee hearing that he may not accept his conclusions if he proceeds to sanction him.
During the hearing the former prime minister told the group of MPs that no. 10 gatherings where alcohol was consumed without social distancing during the pandemic were “necessary” for his work and he didn’t believe the rules had been broken.
https://www.ft.com/content/8f899642-faba-4ad5-98ef-0cf9b80feee2
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