By Ben Kerrigan-
Prime minister Boris Johnson has ordered Tory MPs to delay political attempts to investigate his Partygate lawbreaking amid fears of a rebellion by quietly furious backbenchers.
Opposition parties are attempting to launch an inquiry today into whether he misled the Commons over raucous drinking events in Downing Street.
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Labour has organized a vote due this afternoon on referring Mr Johnson to the privileges committee. It has powers to request private information and determine whether the PM was lying when he told MPs no rules were broken.
Johnson was among dozens of people handed £50 fines last week after having been found by police to have broken lockdown laws, but has told ministers that the vote should wait until probes by the Met Police and civil servant Sue Gray have finished.
Speaking on the flight to Gujarat, Mr Johnson told reporters he will fight the next general election and would not say if there were any circumstances under which he would resign.
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“I think the best thing that we can all do is focus on the things that really change and improve the lives of voters and stop talking about politicians,” the PM said.
Late last night No10 launched a wrecking amendment, promised MPs a vote on an investigation but attempting to delay it until after the police probe has ended.
While many Tory MPs have publicly backed Mr Johnson this week, reports suggested whips were worried that enough quiet critics on the backbenches could abstain in the main vote to allow it to pass.
The amendment is covered by a three-line whip, meaning Tories face disciplinary action if they refuse to back it.
.Mr Johnson said today that he wanted to ‘let the investigators (the police) do their stuff’ before a parliamentary probe was started.
‘The House of Commons can do whatever it wants to do. I don’t think that should happen until the investigation is completed,’ he told broadcasters from a JCB factory in Gujarat.”
Speaking to journalists on his trip to India, Johnson argued that the issues he was focusing on on his visit (trade, investment etc) were actually a lot more important to voters. He said: “I think politics has taught me one thing, which is that you’re better off talking and focussing on the things that matter and the things that make a real difference to the electorate, and not about politicians themselves.”
Johnson also insisted he would lead his party into the next election. Asked by journalists if he would fight the next election, he replied: “Of course, yes.” Asked if anything would cause him to resign, he replied: “Not a lot springs to mind at the moment.”
Johnson claimed this was because ministers were acting in accordance with “due process” – a tradition for which Britain is respected around the world, he implied. Today, Education Secretary, Nadhim Zahawi claimed this was because ministers were acting in accordance with “due process”
‘What do I mean by that? The prime minister came to parliament, as he promised he would, he made a full apology and explained that he made a mistake.
‘But, in his mind, when he attended the cabinet room for that nine-minute birthday celebration, he didn’t think he was breaking the rules which is why he didn’t think he misled parliament.
‘Today, we’ve put down an amendment to say actually, the right way to do this, to follow due process, is to wait for the police inquiry to conclude, to have the full publication of the Cabinet Office report, the Sue Gray report, and then parliament can decide to put it to the privileges committee. That’s the right way to do this’.
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