He lied and disrespected parliament, committee finds
Boris Johnson deliberately misled Parliament, undermined democratic process and was “complicit in the campaign of abuse and attempted intimidation” of MPs, a report has found. Had the former prime minister not resigned as an MP already, Johnson would face an extraordinary 90-day suspension. In a unanimous verdict, the privileges committee has instead recommended that he be barred from holding a former MP’s pass, meaning he will not have access to the Palace of Westminster. “We came to the view that some of Mr Johnson’s denials and explanations were so disingenuous that they were by their very nature deliberate attempts to mislead the Committee and the House,” said the report, published this morning. The committee’s recommended censure is highly unusual, but not without precedent. Last year John Bercow, the former Commons Speaker, was also banned from holding a parliamentary pass after an independent inquiry found that he was a “serial bully” and a liar.
Photograph Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament