By Ben Kerrigan-
Boris Johnson has called for a Conservative MP on the privileges committee to resign, after a furious blue-on-blue row erupted on the eve of a long-awaited report that will find he misled parliament over Partygate.
The former prime minister called allegations that Bernard Jenkin attended a birthday drinks in parliament during Covid restrictions a “total contempt of parliament” and said he has “no choice” but to recuse himself from the panel.
Johnson said: ‘The privileges committee should publish their report and let the world judge their nonsense.’
Allies of the former tory leader paid allegiance to Johnson on calling for Jenkin’s resignation. Jenskin is one of four Tories on the committee that signed off its report into Johnson’s Partygate denials after a year-long inquiry.
Sir Bernard Jenkin, one of the most senior members of the committee, is said to have attended a drinks party in honour of his wife’s birthday in December 2020 when restrictions were in force.
The event took place in parliament and was hosted by Dame Eleanor Laing, the Commons deputy speaker. At the time London was under tier 2 measures, which restricted indoor mixing.
Jenkin, parliament’s most senior select committee chair and a former Tory deputy chair was reported by the Guido Fawkes website to have attended an event on 8 December 2020 in parliament. It was reportedly the date of his wife’s birthday, with a “drinks party” held by Eleanor Laing, a Commons deputy speaker, in her office.
An ally of Jenkin said he arrived at the event to collect his wife, and did not break any rules.
At the time of the event, the second national lockdown had recently lifted across England and the “tiers” system was in force. London was in tier 2, meaning households were not allowed to mix indoors apart from support bubbles, while the “rule of six” applied outdoors.
Only key workers were permitted to travel into the office and gather indoors for work purposes on the condition social distancing was observed. All oter employees were advised to work from home.
.Jenskin has so far resisted the calls to resign, and will see Johnson as being embittered and wanting to bring him down with him.
If Jenskin actually broke lockdown rules, he will eventually be expected to resign or an issue of equitable treatment will arise which could fuel a legitimate cry from Johnson and his supporters.