UK Parliament Votes to Confirm Boris Johnson Misled Parliament
The UK parliament has passed a vote affirming that Boris Johnson deliberately misled lawmakers by stating that Covid lockdown rules were consistently followed at Downing Street during his tenure as prime minister.
The Privileges Committee of the House of Commons published a report last week, stating that Johnson had shown a “serious contempt” for parliament when he assured lawmakers that rules were adhered to, despite evidence of illegal parties taking place in Downing Street during a national lockdown. Johnson, along with current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and other individuals working in Downing Street, were fined by the police.
In addition to finding that Johnson knowingly misled Parliament, the committee also concluded that he continued to mislead the committee itself during the inquiry while presenting his defense.
The vote in the House of Commons passed with a majority of 354 to 7. The outcome was expected since several of Johnson’s Conservative party members were absent and abstained from voting.
Reportedly, Johnson’s staunch supporters, who had vehemently defended him and criticized the committee, were advised by Johnson himself not to vote in order to avoid lending credibility to the decision.
Had Johnson still been an active Member of Parliament (MP), he would have faced a lengthy ban from Parliament and would have been denied access to the parliamentary building. However, since Johnson has already stepped down as an MP, he will neither serve the ban nor trigger a by-election resulting from the ban.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party now hope to put the issue of Johnson and the scandals that led to his government’s downfall behind them as they move forward. However, Sunak and his party currently trail in the polls.
Sunak assumed power after Johnson’s immediate successor, Liz Truss, implemented controversial spending and budget cuts that resulted in an economic crisis. Sunak’s pledge was to bring stability to what had been a chaotic political landscape. While he has achieved some degree of calm, his poll numbers have only marginally improved, causing unease among his own party members.
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