On his 59th birthday of all days: The British House of Commons approved a scathing report on Boris Johnson’s “Partygate” lies.
The latest news from Britain’s politicians sounds more like a shambles than a birthday party: Ironically, on Boris Johnson’s 59th birthday, the House of Commons in London voted on a committee’s devastating report on the “Partygate” affair.
The result: the British Parliament considers the former Prime Minister to be a liar. Only seven MPs from Johnson’s Conservative Party voted against the decision, but 118 voted in favor. The majority of the 352-strong Tory faction abstained – including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and most of the prominent cabinet members. In response, Johnson loudly berated the members of the committee, including several Conservative MPs.
A total of 354 MPs agreed, the House of Commons has 650 seats. The vote is considered symbolic and has little direct impact because Johnson had previously resigned his mandate. With the vote, the lower house withdrew his parliamentary pass, which former MPs are actually entitled to.
Shards instead of birthday cake
Johnson’s birthday three years ago had also turned out to be fateful. Because he was celebrated with a cake despite the corona contact restrictions, he later received a fine from the police – as the first incumbent prime minister in British history. As it turned out, this was not an isolated case: there was carousing and partying in the government buildings while the country remained in lockdown.
But when pictures and eyewitness reports became public, Johnson denied everything. All the rules had been followed, he claimed in Parliament. When that was no longer tenable, he stated that he had not heard anything about the celebrations. When it became clear that he himself had attended the party, he took the position that he had not realized that the celebrations were illegal. The committee didn’t believe him.
The “Partygate” affair triggered protests in the country. (Source: IMAGO/Thomas Krych)
Only a few confidants defended Johnson
The debate was now about whether Parliament would adopt the findings of the investigation and impose sanctions on Johnson. Johnson forestalled a 90-day suspension recommended by the committee by resigning from office. The sentence was significantly higher because Johnson had previously vilified the committee as “kangaroo court”. He feels like a victim of a politically motivated witch hunt by Brexit opponents and personal enemies.
But in the end only a few Johnson confidants defended the ex-premier. Johnson called his people back – also because there was a clear majority against him, because this time there was no parliamentary group obligation. Many Tory MPs, including Johnson’s successor Liz Truss, never even showed up in the House of Commons. Others openly solicited approval. Johnson’s predecessor Theresa May spoke of a “small but important step to restore people’s trust in MPs”.
Opposition accuses Sunak of weak leadership
Johnson’s scandals are also putting pressure on incumbent Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. No matter which topics Sunak takes on and what he wants to talk about – the talk always comes back to the scandal-ridden ex-head of government. The Guardian newspaper commented: “Johnson’s legacy haunts Sunak.” The incumbent could not bring himself to publicly criticize his former boss. That could damage him now.
Because Sunak himself missed the debate in the lower house. At the same time, the Prime Minister received Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. Sunak left open how he would vote in the event of a vote, even after multiple inquiries. “It is important that the government does not interfere because it is a matter for Parliament and MPs as individuals, not as members of government,” the PM said in an ITV interview.
The opposition immediately accused the prime minister of poor leadership. “If the Prime Minister is not even able to show leadership when it comes to holding liars accountable, how can he expect the people of this country to trust him on anything else,” said Labor MP Thangam Debbonaire .
Rishi Sunak was supposed to clean up the British mess. (Source: Henry Nicholls/Reuters Images)
