UK: The ex-PM Johnson will be judged by UK lawmakers for “Partygate”
By Ahmad Hadizat Omayoza, Mamos Nigeria
A damning report that found that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson lied to parliament about lockdown-breaking parties will be decided by British MPs on Monday.
On Johnson’s 59th birthday, a House of Commons debate on the report is taking place, likely leading to the removal of his pass to enter parliament. At the same time that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak struggles to move the nation out of a crisis caused by the numerous scandals committed by his predecessor.
The Commons privileges committee report has been characterized as a “witch hunt” by Johnson and his waning support, and Johnson resigned from his position as a member of parliament shortly before its publication.
However, Sunak asserted that the government’s bipartisan members had “done their work thoroughly,” and he has promised to restore government integrity.
But Sunak’s office wouldn’t say if he would go to the debate or not. He also wouldn’t say how MPs should decide if the report goes to a vote.
The House, not the government, should deal with this. Because of that crucial distinction, he stated to ITV, “I wouldn’t want to influence anyone prior to that vote.”
Keir Starmer, leader of opposition Labour, tried to keep Sunak under pressure so that he wouldn’t pick sides with the backers of the report and Johnson’s vocal supporters in the Conservative party as a whole.
He ought to exercise leadership. Take a look! On ITV, he said, “Get in the (voting) lobby and show us where he stands on this.” He then said that Johnson had been acting “miserably misbehaving.”
The privileges committee found Johnson guilty of “repeated contempt (of parliament) and… seeking to undermine the parliamentary process” in a 106-page report last week.
