Damning Investigation Reveals Boris Johnson’s Deceptive Actions Regarding ‘Partygate’ in UK Parliament

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Following a year-long investigation, a committee of lawmakers has found that former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson intentionally misled Parliament regarding the flagrant lockdown-defying parties that eroded his credibility and contributed to his downfall. The House of Commons Privileges Committee’s scathing report, released on Thursday, deems Johnson’s actions and his response to the committee as a blatant violation of the rules, justifying a 90-day suspension from Parliament.

While the recommendation carries significant condemnation of the former prime minister’s behavior, it remains largely symbolic since Johnson angrily resigned as a lawmaker on Friday upon being informed of the committee’s conclusions.

“The committee’s report states that Mr. Johnson committed a grave contempt by deliberately misleading the House,” the report said. “The gravity of this contempt is intensified by the fact that it was committed by the Prime Minister, the highest-ranking member of the government. There is no precedent for a Prime Minister being found guilty of deliberate deception in the House.”

Furthermore, the committee has also suggested that Johnson should not be granted access to Parliament’s grounds.

Responding to the findings, the 58-year-old Johnson issued a statement expressing his fury. He described the committee as a “kangaroo court” engaged in a “witch hunt” aimed at forcing him out of Parliament. Notably, a majority of the panel’s seven members belong to Johnson’s Conservative Party.

Johnson vehemently denied the committee’s conclusions, stating, “The committee now claims that I deliberately misled the House, asserting that at the time I spoke, I consciously concealed my knowledge of illicit events. This is rubbish. It is a lie. In order to reach this deranged conclusion, the Committee is obliged to make a series of blatantly absurd claims or contradict the facts.”

This report adds to the ongoing “partygate” scandal that has consumed the attention of lawmakers since local news outlets revealed that members of Johnson’s staff had organized multiple gatherings in 2020 and 2021, in violation of pandemic restrictions. The full House of Commons will now discuss the committee’s report and determine whether it agrees with the panel’s findings and recommended sanctions.

Johnson’s resignation as a lawmaker on Friday came in response to the committee’s advance notice of his impending sanction.

On the day preceding the report’s publication, Johnson also demanded the resignation of Bernard Jenkin, the senior Conservative member of the panel, over allegations that he himself had violated pandemic restrictions.

Daisy Cooper, the deputy leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats, dismissed Johnson’s actions as a “typical distraction tactic” that fails to change the fact that he broke the law and lied about it.

By leaving Parliament, Johnson avoids suspension, and a special election will be held in July to fill his seat representing Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

Last year, Johnson and his wife, Carrie, were fined by the Metropolitan Police for breaching COVID-19 laws during a birthday celebration at his Downing Street residence and office in June 2020.

Current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was also among numerous individuals who received fixed-penalty notices for organizing a series of office parties and “wine time Fridays” in 2020 and 2021 across government buildings.

The revelations of these alcohol-fueled gatherings, occurring when millions were prohibited from seeing their loved ones or attending family funerals, generated anger among many Britons and contributed to a series of ethics scandals that led to Johnson’s downfall. He resigned as prime minister in July 2022 following a wave of government officials resigning in protest against his leadership.

Johnson has admitted to misleading lawmakers by assuring them that no rules had been broken but maintains that he did not do so intentionally. In March, he informed the committee that he “honestly believed” the five gatherings he attended, including a farewell event for a staff member and his own surprise birthday party, were “lawful work gatherings” aimed at boosting morale among overburdened staff dealing with a deadly pandemic.

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More about partygate scandal

• BBC News: Boris Johnson misled Parliament over ‘partygate’
• The Guardian: Boris Johnson quits as MP after partygate findings
• House of Commons Privileges Committee Report on Boris Johnson’s conduct