She points out that the essence is no longer whether or not parties are thrown at 10 Downing Street. ‘We know by now,’ she says. Even Johnson admits it. What matters today is whether Johnson, as prime minister, knew he was lying when he told parliament that no parties had been organized during the lockdown.’
During the hearing, Johnson admitted, among other things, that social distancing was not always followed, but that if the rules were violated, it only affected essential work matters. He also referred to the controversial meeting in the garden of the prime minister’s official residence, where forty guests were present, each of whom brought their own bottle. “That was a business meeting too, Johnson insisted,” says Van Bekhoven. “And he also accepts that the public probably wouldn’t see it as such.”
Amount
Van Bekhoven cannot say for sure what the outcome of the session will be, although he thinks Johnson “wasn’t comfortable”. “He was interrogated in turn by the seven members of the parliamentary commission of inquiry,” continues Van Bekhoven. “He You could really tell that he had had enough at times. He was impatient and awkward and angry.’
Johnson would have prepared very well, says Van Bekhoven. “With the help of one of the best and most expensive lawyers in the country, who interrogated him for hours in a sort of role-playing game,” he concludes. “But my impression isn’t that it went the way he wanted.”
Return as Prime Minister?
While rumors of a possible return to the prime minister’s office have grown louder, Van Bekhoven thinks they will have been significantly weakened by this hearing. According to Van Bekhoven, it is entirely possible that Johnson will lose his job. “The most severe punishment the commission can give him is a suspension of ten days or more,” he says. “That could lead to re-election in his constituency.”
Furthermore, there is a risk that Johnson will lose his seat in next year’s general election anyway. And even if he gets a job elsewhere and can stay in politics, Van Bekhoven reckons the chances are bleak. “For Johnson, of course, it’s all about coming back as prime minister,” he concludes. ‘Partygate killed him in that moment and he can’t wait to get back. But times have changed. The British are in calmer waters, politics can almost be called boring again, and they seem to prefer it that way.”