‘Partygate’ report accuses Boris Johnson of misleading Parliament

Jun 15, 2023

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Ben Burke (Digital Producer)

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The British House of Commons Privileges Committee’s report on the “partygate” scandal concluded that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson misled Parliament about parties he held at 10 Downing Street during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such parties were prohibited by pandemic restrictions at the time.

Johnson initially denied that any parties took place, then repeatedly assured lawmakers that rules and guidance were followed at all times. The committee concluded that those assurances were misleading, and that Johnson failed to correct the record when asked to do so.

“We came to the view that some of Mr. Johnson’s denials and explanations were so disingenuous that they were by their very nature deliberate attempts to mislead the Committee and the House, while others demonstrated deliberation because of the frequency with which he closed his mind to the truth,” the committee wrote in a summary of its report. “For these reasons we conclude that Mr. Johnson’s conduct was deliberate and that he has committed a serious contempt of the House. We shared our provisional conclusions with Mr. Johnson on 8 June 2023, inviting him to make further representations.”

In the partygate report, the committee found Johnson’s actions were such a flagrant violation of the rules that it warranted a 90-day suspension from his role as a member of Parliament. However, this conclusion became moot before the report was even released, with Johnson resigning on Friday, June 9.

Johnson released a statement in response to the report insisting that he did nothing wrong.

“The committee now says that I deliberately misled the House, and at the moment I spoke I was consciously concealing from the House my knowledge of illicit events,” Johnson said. “This is rubbish. It is a lie. In order to reach this deranged conclusion, the Committee is obliged to say a series of things that are patently absurd, or contradicted by the facts.”

Johnson’s seat in Parliament will be contested in a special election in July.

Tags: COVID-19, Pandemic, United Kingdom

A SEVEN MEMBER COMMITTEE IN THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT HAS RELEASED ITS “PARTYGATE” REPORT —
AFTER SPENDING MORE THAN A YEAR INVESTIGATING FORMER PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON’S ROLE IN A SERIES OF PARTIES IN 2020 AND 2021 THAT WERE HELD DURING THE PANDEMIC —
WHEN SUCH GATHERINGS WERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
THE SCATHING REPORT SUGGESTS JOHNSON “DELIBERATELY MISLED PARLIAMENT ABOUT THE PARTIES” —
AND ORDERED A 90 DAY SUSPENSION WITH A POTENTIAL OF SANCTIONING THE FORMER P-M.
HOWEVER —
BORIS JOHNSON **RESIGNED FROM HIS POST IN PARLIAMENT LESS THAN A WEEK AGO AHEAD OF THE REPORT’S RELEASE.
JOHNSON RELEASED A STATEMENT SAYING HE WAS BEING “FORCED OUT” BY A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE AND CLAIMED THE COMMITTEE HAD NO EVIDENCE TO BACK SUCH ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HIM.
JOHNSON RESIGNED AS PRIME MINISTER IN JULY 20-22.
ALMOST ONE YEAR AGO.

‘Partygate’ report accuses Boris Johnson of misleading Parliament

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