By Ben Kerrigan-
Boris Johnson has been given the findings of an investigation into whether he misled parliament over Partygate
The former prime minister has been sent a “warning letter” had been submitted to the former prime minister containing criticisms for him to respond to.
Partygate denotes the embarrassing breach of the tory government under Boris Johnson in which lockdown and social distancing rules were widely violated by ministers.
The affair undermined the integrity of the lockdown and led to criticisms of double standards, with the added speculation in many quarters that offenders did not believe in the rules they asked the public to abide by.
Labour MPs had questioned the Cabinet Office to explain why public money was being used to pay for Mr Johnson’s legal team.
The director general of the Cabinet Office, Darren Tierney had explained that the Partygate inquiry by the Privileges Committee related to Mr Johnson’s conduct as a minister, he was entitled to taxpayer-funded legal support.
Mr Tierney cited legal support given to former ministers during public inquiries into the Grenfell Tower fire, the BSE disease outbreak in cattle, and infected blood products as examples of precedents.
A potential suspension of 10 days or more could lead to a byelection being triggered in his Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency.
Under the “Maxwellisation process”, Johnson was handed a dossier laying out the committee’s findings. It is said to contain the facts and evidence they are based on and any proposed sanctions.
Johnson will have two weeks to reply, with the whole process conducted in secrecy. His response will be considered by the privileges committee before it finalises its report,
MPs are likely to be given a “free vote” – though sometimes informal pressure is applied by telling them which way the chief whip is going to vote. MPs will also be able to amend the motion.
Tory backbenchers recently voted against a finding by the standards committee that another MP, Margaret Ferrier, be suspended from parliament for 30 days, for breaking Covid rules.
MPs passed a motion that set up the inquiry in April 2022, examining whetherthe former prime minister had misled parliament by repeatedly denying any Covid rules had been broken. Scotland Yard has issued more than 120 fines over Partygate – including to Johnson himself.
A spokesperson for the privileges committee, which has a Tory majority said it was “proceeding in accordance with its previously published procedure, adding “If the committee decides to criticise Johnson, it will not come to a final conclusion until it has taken into account any further submissions from Johnson.”