Boris Johnson has been damned however he might have extra grenades to throw

The privileges committee has reported – and its conclusions exceed even the extra damning expectations.

The MPs discover Boris Johnson misled the House not simply as soon as, however a number of occasions:

• On 1 December 2021 when stories first surfaced about lockdown-busting events and he stated all guidelines and steering had been adopted in No 10,
• the next week on 8 December, when he repeated that assertion,
• and in January,
• and in May the next 12 months when he was questioned about leaving events for his workers.

Politics newest: Johnson ‘complicit in tried intimidation of committee’, report says

The crux of Mr Johnson’s defence is that others suggested him that the gatherings – a few of which he didn’t attend – had been inside the guidelines.

But the MPs blow this out of the water, discovering not solely that he knew greater than he let on, however that the impression that “those assurances had been overarching and comprehensive” was, within the MPs’ view, deceptive in itself.

Those assurances got “in haste”, as a line to take by his media advisers, and solely in relation to 1 occasion – however had been utilized by the previous prime minister extra extensively.

Their conclusion is {that a} “serious contempt” occurred and that he misled the home not simply recklessly, however knowingly, too – and that that is all of the extra severe as a result of he was essentially the most senior member of the federal government.

Mr Johnson’s indignant representations are included by the committee in full.

Read extra:
Johnson ‘intentionally’ misled MPs over partygate, report finds, and ought to be banned from parliament
Key findings of privileges committee that sealed Boris Johnson’s destiny
What the previous PM advised the privileges committee about partygate

They condemn his descriptions of the committee as a “kangaroo court” finishing up a “witch hunt” in opposition to him, saying his “campaign of abuse and intimidation of committee members … constitutes a further significant contempt”.

The report additionally accommodates vibrant new particulars, not seen within the interim report earlier this 12 months, or in Sue Gray’s report final 12 months, exhibiting the disconnect between the powerful language of the foundations as they utilized to the general public – and the way they had been perceived in Downing Street.

We study that on one event Boris Johnson felt he wanted to be at a gathering to “steady the ship” after Lee Cain and Dominic Cummings – his former chief advisers – left in “potentially acrimonious circumstances” in November 2020.

Mr Johnson’s resignation as an MP signifies that the recommended suspension is now educational, however MPs do get the possibility to vote on it and are more likely to approve it.

It’s now clear why he did not keep to battle a by-election in his Uxbridge constituency, which current polling by Conservative donor Lord Ashcroft recommended the Tories may maintain.

Mr Johnson himself calls the report “deranged”, whereas his allies have branded it “appalling”. His supporters amongst MPs will not be notably quite a few – with many MPs now wanting to maneuver on – however they’re indignant.

Boris Johnson maintains robust help among the many social gathering’s grassroots and vocal allies who’re ready to make issues tough for the present prime minister, corresponding to Nadine Dorries. Other MPs are already pledging to talk in opposition to the report when a vote is held.

The damning nature of the doc, which can postpone even a few of these MPs nonetheless loyal to him, is unhealthy information for his want to return again. But it is also harmful for Rishi Sunak, eager to lastly draw a line below partygate.

The vote on this report will probably be a grim and divisive second for Conservatives, and Mr Johnson – who has already, considerably disingenuously, attacked Mr Sunak’s tax coverage and failure to strive for a US commerce deal – might have extra grenades to throw.