Partygate scandal: ‘Johnson misled Parliament multiple times’

The UK Parliament’s Committee on Privileges has concluded that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson knowingly misled Parliament about attending parties held in the Prime Minister’s office while COVID-19 restrictions were in place.

The Committee on Privileges has published the results of its investigation into Johnson’s participation in parties held in the Prime Minister’s Office Number 10 for the period 2020-2021. Concluding that Johnson knowingly and deliberately misled lawmakers and the Committee, the Committee on Privileges said it had been repeated multiple times.

The Committee also accused Johnson of “undermining the democratic process and humiliating the Committee” by misleading lawmakers at hearings he attended last week.

The committee report, which included the statement: “The humiliation was so severe because it was done by the prime minister, the most authoritative member of the government,” listed recommendations for sanctions for Johnson. The committee recommended that Johnson, who resigned from his parliamentary post on June 10, not be issued the card former lawmakers use when entering parliament.

NUMBER 10 DISCUSSED PARTS

In the UK, police launched an investigation early last year following reports of 12 alleged breaches of Covid-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021. As part of the investigation, Johnson was fined for attending his own birthday party. birthday.

The then prime minister, Johnson, apologized on May 12 after being fined for violating Covid-19 rules, but announced he would not resign.

After the police investigation, Senior Assistant Secretary Sue Gray also released her report on the parties. In the report, it was reported that rules were broken at most parties held at the Prime Ministry during the Covid-19 restrictions, with cleaning and security staff also facing “unacceptable” treatment.

In the report, it was noted that many events held in the Prime Ministry should not be allowed to be hosted at that time, noting that staff who expressed their concerns were not respected.

In a March 21 statement, Johnson admitted that he had misled parliament about his involvement in matches that broke quarantine rules at the Prime Minister during the Covid-19 epidemic, but argued that he did not do so “intentionally”. .

Johnson, in his letter of resignation from parliament, used the phrase: “In a letter I received from the Committee on Privileges, they made it clear that they were determined to use cases against me to remove me from parliament.” (AA)