Commons Privileges Committee investigation into Boris Johnson
The UK House of Commons Committee of Privileges inquiry into the matter referred on 21 April 2022 on the conduct of Boris Johnson concerns four specific assertions made by the then Prime Minister at Prime Minister's Questions about "the legality of activities in 10 Downing Street and the Cabinet Office under Covid regulations", events commonly referred to as Partygate.
"[3] They concluded he was guilty of further contempts of Parliament and that he breached confidentiality requirements by criticising the Committee's provisional findings when he resigned.
In January 2022, the Metropolitan Police opened an investigation into potential breaches of COVID-19 regulations, which led to fixed penalty notices being issued.
On 19 April 2022, Speaker of the Commons Lindsay Hoyle approved an application, from the leader of the Labour Party and other leading opposition MPs,[a] to table a motion for debate followed by a vote on 21 April, on whether Johnson should be referred to the Parliamentary Privileges Committee to investigate whether he knowingly misled Parliament in his comments.
They instead tabled an amendment to delay the decision about referring Johnson to the Privileges Committee until after the investigative report into Partygate by Sue Gray was published.
[7] The chair of the committee, Labour MP Chris Bryant, recused himself on the grounds of comments he had made about the matter previously.
[11] The committee began its considerations on 29 June 2022 and appointed the Rt Hon Sir Ernest Ryder, former President of Tribunals for the United Kingdom and former Lord Justice of Appeal, as their legal adviser.
[19] They met on 11 January 2023 to examine documents released by the Cabinet Office in late November 2022, soon after Sunak became prime minister.
[21] The Telegraph described the question facing the committee in these terms: "Even Mr Johnson's allies accept he misled Parliament, in that information was given to MPs that turned out to be incorrect.
[25] On 3 March 2023, the committee published its summary of issues to be raised with Johnson, including some previously unpublished photos of gatherings.
[30][31] For example, it quotes the then Downing Street communications director, Jack Doyle, as writing a WhatsApp message saying, "I'm struggling to come up with a way this one is in the rules" about the 2020 birthday gathering.
Around the same time, it was announced that Sue Gray had been offered the job of chief of staff to Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party.
[34] A spokesperson for the Privileges Committee stressed that their report was not based on Gray's work, but on evidence supplied by the government and from witnesses.
The defence document largely relies on advice from Johnson's then-communications chief, Jack Doyle, who was a political special adviser rather than a permanent civil servant.
[42] This includes Cabinet Secretary Simon Case denying that he gave assurances to Johnson that rules or guidance were obeyed at all times in 10 Downing Street.
It also has Lee Cain, then Downing Street Director of Communications, confirming Dominic Cummings at the time said the garden party should not take place and that he had discussed the matter with Johnson.
[50] In May 2023, the Cabinet Office referred to the police evidence of possible further breaches of COVID-19 regulations by Johnson at 10 Downing Street and Chequers.
[52] This recommended a suspension of more than 10 days from the Commons,[53] which, if approved by the House, would trigger a recall petition in Johnson's constituency and a possible by-election.
[53] On 12 June 2023, Michael Gove said he disagreed with Johnson's description of the process as a "kangaroo court", saying he had "respect" for their work.
"[65] They concluded he was guilty of further contempts of Parliament and that he breached confidentiality requirements by criticising the Committee's provisional findings when he resigned.
In coming to the conclusion that Mr Johnson deliberately misled the House, we considered: a) His repeated and continuing denials of the facts, for example his refusal to accept that there were insufficient efforts to enforce social distancing at gatherings where a lack of social distancing is documented in official photographs, and that he neither saw nor heard anything to alert him to the breaches that occurred.
The BBC's political editor, Chris Mason, wrote, "This is a report – in breadth and depth – that demolishes Boris Johnson's character and conduct.
[68] A spokesperson for the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK group, David Garfinkel, said, "[Johnson] should never be allowed to stand for any form of public office again".
[70] Johnson was supported by allies including Nadine Dorries, who called the report "quite bizarre" and said "any Conservative MP who would vote for this report is fundamentally not a Conservative", as well as Brendan Clarke-Smith, Simon Clarke, James Duddridge, Jake Berry, Michael Fabricant, Andrea Jenkyns and Zac Goldsmith.
[71] Conservative minister Jacob Rees-Mogg stated that the committee had "over-egged their particular pudding and made themselves look vindictive and actually therefore helped Boris Johnson".
[72] Former Conservative minister Michael Heseltine said, "We've had four days of this report and the story doesn't change: Boris Johnson told a pack of lies.
"[73] Chris Bryant called Johnson a "scoundrel" who "repeatedly lied" and the publication of the report meant that justice had finally been served.
Other prominent Conservatives supporting the report included former PM Theresa May; former Cabinet member Andrea Leadsom; Tobias Ellwood, chair of the Defence Committee; and Father of the House Sir Peter Bottomley.
[22] Thangam Debbonaire, Shadow Leader of the House, for Labour said that Sunak should have blocked Johnson's resignation honours list.
[77] Voting against the report were Conservative MPs Desmond Swayne, Bill Cash, Nick Fletcher, Adam Holloway, Karl McCartney, Joy Morrissey and Heather Wheeler.
