LONDON (AP) – Britain’s lawmakers on Thursday ordered a parliamentary inquiry into Prime Minister Boris Johnson for allegedly lying about whether he violated coronavirus restrictions by attending illegal gatherings during the pandemic.
The move, approved by calls of “yes” and without a formal vote in the House of Commons, means Parliament’s Privileges Committee will investigate whether Johnson knowingly misled Parliament – historically a resignation offense if proven .
The probe puts more pressure on a Conservative prime minister whose power has been shaken by claims he flouted the pandemic rules he’s imposing on the country, and then repeatedly failed to commit to doing so.
The move was inspired by the opposition Labor Party and passed after the government abandoned efforts to get Conservative lawmakers to block it. Johnson’s Conservatives have a sizeable majority in Parliament, but many lawmakers are unhappy with the Prime Minister’s behavior.
Union leader Keir Starmer said the move aimed to “uphold the simple principle that honesty, integrity and telling the truth matter in our politics”.
“It is a British principle … that guides members of all political parties in this House,” Starmer said. “But it is a principle that is being attacked.”
Johnson was absent from the decision on a scandal that has rocked his leadership of the country and the Conservative Party. He was more than 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) away in India and insisted he wanted to “get on with the work” of leading the country.
Johnson was fined £50 ($66) by police last week for attending his own birthday party at his office in June 2020, when people in the UK were barred from socializing with friends and family to meet or even to visit dying relatives. Johnson is the first British Prime Minister to break the law during his tenure.
He has apologized but denied knowingly breaking the rules. Johnson’s shifting defense – first saying there were no illegal gatherings, then claiming it “didn’t occur to me” that the birthday event was a party – has drawn derision and outrage from opponents, who have urged him to quit .
“The truth is simple and it is this – he lied to avoid being caught and when he was caught he lied again,” Scottish National Party MP Ian Blackford said in the House of Commons.
Normally, lawmakers are forbidden from accusing each other of lying, but Blackford was not reprimanded by the speaker.
A growing number of Conservatives are uncomfortable defending a leader who has broken rules he has imposed on the country. Some have openly called for Johnson’s resignation, and the number is rising. Others are waiting to see if public anger translates into Conservative losses in the May 5 local election.
“It’s extremely depressing to be asked to defend the untenable,” said Conservative lawmaker William Wragg. “Each time, a part of us withers.”
Lawmaker Steve Baker, previously a prominent supporter, said Johnson “should be gone by now” for breaking “the letter and spirit” of the rules.
“I will definitely vote for this motion,” he said. “But really, the Prime Minister should just know the gig is over.”
The Privileges Committee’s investigation will only begin once the police and civil service investigation into Partygate has been completed.
Senior official Sue Gray is investigating 16 incidents, including “bring your own boze” office parties and “wine time on Fridays” at Johnson’s office at 10 Downing Street and other government buildings. Police are investigating a dozen of the incidents and have imposed at least 50 fines so far, including those on Johnson, his wife Carrie and CFO Rishi Sunak. Johnson is believed to have attended about six of the gatherings and faces further police fines.
Johnson and his allies argue that it would be inconsiderate for the country to change leadership now amid the war in Ukraine and pressures on the cost of living caused by rising energy and food prices.
Flying to India on a two-day visit focused on strengthening economic ties, Johnson again denied knowingly misleading Parliament and insisted he would lead the Conservatives to the next national election, due in 2024 .
“Honestly, I have absolutely nothing to hide,” Johnson told Sky News during his visit to the western Indian state of Gujarat. “I want to continue with the job I was chosen for.”