Boris Johnson branded ‘coward’ for quitting as MP earlier than partygate findings printed

Boris Johnson has been branded a “coward” and a “disgrace” for quitting as an MP earlier than the findings of a parliament investigation into whether or not he lied to MPs about partygate had been printed.

Members of the opposition lined as much as criticise the previous prime minister, who took goal on the Commons privileges committee in a blistering 1,000-word assertion as he resigned on Friday.

Mr Johnson claimed the cross-party group, which has a Tory majority, had been “determined to find him guilty” of deceptive parliament and claimed a “witch hunt” was below option to take revenge for Brexit.

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But Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy chief, mentioned the previous prime minister had “jumped” to keep away from going through a probably humiliating by-election in his marginal Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency.

“I think Boris Johnson has shown himself to be a coward once more,” she advised Sky News.

“He’s a man that can never hold his hands up to what he’s done. And I think he’s an absolute disgrace.”

Ms Rayner identified that the Commons get to vote on any really useful suspension from the privileges committee and, if 10 days or extra is agreed, Mr Johnson’s constituents would then get a say if there ought to by a by-election.

She mentioned Mr Johnson had chosen to “dodge all of that because he knows he’s not going get through that process, because it is clear he misled parliament”.

“He’s had a fair hearing. He’s chose to run off and cower away from responsibility of what he’s done,” she added.

“Nobody made him party during lockdown. He knows full well what he should and shouldn’t have been doing. And he let the public down in the most disgraceful way.”

The committee has been investigating whether or not Mr Johnson lied to the Commons when he mentioned that COVID guidelines had been adopted in Downing Street following stories that lockdown-busting events had been held in the course of the pandemic.

It was reportedly making ready to advocate a 10-day suspension from the Commons, a conclusion which, if MPs voted for it, would have resulted in a recall petition amongst his constituents and a possible by-election in his west London constituency if greater than 10% supported one.

Will Walden, a former spokesman for Boris Johnson, mentioned his previous boss had “seen the writing on the wall” that he might be ousted and referred to as his exit “very Trumpian”.

“Boris hates the comparisons with Trump, but it is the language of vendetta,” he mentioned of Mr Johnson’s assertion. “It’s a long rant, and frankly, it’s deeply misleading in places. But it’s very Boris.”

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Chris Bryant, the Labour chair of the privileges committee who recused himself from the Johnson investigation, mentioned the previous prime minister might be levelled with a brand new contempt of parliament cost after his “narcissistic rant”.

“He’s been so cowardly that he’s not prepared to face the music in the House of Commons,” he added.

The privileges inquiry is because of meet on Monday to finalise its conclusions and is anticipated to publish its report “promptly”.

In an announcement launched by the committee on Friday night time, a spokesman mentioned Mr Johnson had “impugned the integrity” of the Commons along with his assault.

Mr Johnson mentioned he was “bewildered and appalled” at being “forced out, anti-democratically” by a probe that he claimed had set out from the start to “find me guilty, regardless of the facts”.

His resignation means Rishi Sunak now faces the prospect of two by-elections, with Nadine Dorries – one in every of Mr Johnson’s closest allies – additionally asserting on Friday that she was vacating her seat efficient instantly.

The two predominant opposition events have vowed to combat exhausting to win the seats – however the Lib Dems insisted on Saturday there could be no pact with Labour to oust the Tories.

Lib Dem chief Sir Ed Davey mentioned: “There’ll be no pacts, no deals. We will fight both by-elections. Voters will make the decision.”