Boris Johnson deliberately misled parliament, concludes UK report dubbed ‘a charade’ by ex-PM
- The privileges committee – the main disciplinary body for lawmakers – said he should now be stripped of having automatic access to parliament
- In typically combative style Johnson, who in 2019 led the Conservatives to election victory, dismissed the report as ‘a lie’ and ‘a charade’
Boris Johnson deliberately misled the British parliament in an unprecedented way over rule-breaking parties at his office during Covid-19 lockdowns, a committee said on Thursday in a damning verdict that further tarnished the former prime minister
Almost a year ago, Johnson was talking about remaining prime minister into the 2030s. But the privileges committee – the main disciplinary body for lawmakers – said on Thursday he should now be stripped of having automatic access to parliament.
The committee also accused Johnson of being “complicit in a campaign of abuse and attempted intimidation” towards them.
In typically combative style Johnson, who in 2019 led the Conservatives to a landslide election victory, dismissed the report as “a lie” and “a charade”, and accused committee members of waging a vendetta against him.
The stand-off will do little to heal the deep divisions in the Conservatives and can only pile pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, whose push to try to boost Britain’s flagging economy is being overshadowed by the ongoing Johnson drama.
The more than 100-page report detailed six events held at Downing Street, the prime minister’s offices and residence.