No 10 defends partygate probe MPs after Johnson criticises ‘kangaroo court’
D
owning Street has defended the parliamentary committee investigating whether or not Boris Johnson misled MPs over partygate, after the panel turned the topic of assaults by the previous prime minister and his allies.
The Privileges Committee met on Monday to finalise its report into Mr Johnson, who dismissed the inquiry as a “witch hunt” as he dramatically introduced his resignation from the Commons.
The probe is assumed to have dominated that Mr Johnson lied to Parliament when he informed MPs that Covid guidelines have been adopted in Downing Street regardless of boozy events happening on the time of social distancing restrictions.
The Government will on no account traduce or criticise the work of the committee
The panel was anticipated to suggest a suspension of no less than 10 days, reaching the edge which might have virtually definitely triggered a by-election in Mr Johnson’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat – with the electoral battle now occurring anyway resulting from his Commons exit.
Mr Johnson accused the committee of “bias” and likened it to a “kangaroo court” in a scathing 1,000-word exit assertion on Friday after receiving a draft of the report.
But Rishi Sunak’s spokesman expressed confidence within the MPs’ work, saying they have been doing “exactly what Parliament has asked them to do”.
“This is a properly set-up committee that the House has voted to carry out their work,” the Prime Minister’s spokesman informed reporters on Monday.
“The Government will in no way traduce or criticise the work of the committee who are doing exactly what Parliament has asked them to do.”
Conservative former Cabinet minister Damian Green referred to as Mr Johnson’s assaults on the committee as “very, very unfortunate and wrong”.
The MP defended the committee on BBC Radio 4’s PM programme, saying: “I think it’s monstrous that they have been attacked in the way they have.”
He additionally criticised the way in which Mr Johnson “flounced out of Parliament” earlier than the committee printed its report, which is predicted to come back on both Tuesday or Wednesday.
In response to Mr Johnson’s assault, a committee spokesperson mentioned he had “impugned the integrity of the House”.
Cabinet minister Michael Gove additionally defended the integrity of the committee however refused to rebuke occasion colleagues throughout an look on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“It is not my job or role to censor or police anyone’s views in a matter of public debate,” he mentioned.
“I have respect for the work that they have done and I think that we need to respect again the integrity of the process and wait until the report is published before then debating its conclusions and the consequences.
“The second thing that I want to say is that I do deprecate the fact that they are now in a position where, as reported, they have to seek or have been granted additional security.”
Mr Sunak’s spokesman mentioned reported threats in opposition to committee members have been “completely unacceptable”.
He mentioned: “I’ve only seen the reporting around that. I don’t know the facts. Clearly, any threats against any MPs are completely unacceptable.”