The attitude of the elected Conservatives, torn between loyalty to their leader and voter rage, will be scrutinized ahead of local elections on May 5.
Crisis does not end Boris Johnson: British MPs debate and vote on Thursday April 21 on ‘Partygate’, the parties organized during Downing Street confinement that have netted the Prime Minister a fine.
Also readThe sword of ‘Partygate’ continues to hover over Boris Johnson
Did the Conservative leader knowingly mislead Parliament? Given his majority, there is little risk that the House of Commons will agree to launch a parliamentary process that could force him to resign. But this vote, which is primarily intended to give an idea of the level of support his troops have, prevents Boris Johnson from turning the page on the scandal. The case, which took a back seat to the war in Ukraine for a time, was revived last week when he was fined for breaching anti-Covid restrictions by attending a surprise party to mark his 56th birthday in June 2020 and the first sitting Brit Prime Minister was fined for breaking the law.
As he is visiting India, he will stay away from Parliament. On Tuesday he reiterated his “unreserved” apology to MPs and Britons, saying it “had not occurred to him” that this gathering, which he said lasted 10 minutes at most, “could constitute a breach of the rules at the time”. . in force. Not enough to persuade the opposition, who tabled a motion for a debate in the House of Commons to find out whether the Prime Minister knowingly misled Parliament by repeatedly repeating in the Palace of Westminster that he had respected all the rules.
“Man Without Shame”
At the end of Thursday’s debate, MPs will vote on whether to refer the matter to the Committee of Privileges, a parliamentary committee responsible for such matters. In the event of a seizure, the committee conducts an investigation to find out whether the prime minister has deceived MPs and, if so, recommends sanctions, the extent and scope of which is not clear. But the Ministers’ Law provides that a minister who has knowingly misled Parliament must resign.
Given the large Conservative majority in the House of Commons, the motion is unlikely to pass. Many MPs, who once called for Boris Johnson’s departure, also now see it as inappropriate to evict him from Downing Street in connection with the war in Ukraine. However, the debate will allow potential slingers to explain themselves. And the attitude of the elected Conservatives, torn between loyalty to their leader and voter rage, will be scrutinized ahead of local elections on May 5.
Also read ‘Partygate’: The Gray report criticizes Boris Johnson’s ‘mistakes’
“We are calling on Tory MPs to do the right thing: respect their constituents’ sacrifice during the pandemic and say the public was right to play by the rules,” said Labor leader Keir Starmer. The opposition leader on Tuesday called Boris Johnson a “man without shame” and called on a majority of MPs to get rid of their leader in a bid to restore “decency, honesty and integrity” to British political life. The head of government was also sharply criticized from his own camp. Conservative MP Mark Harper said he was no longer “worthy” to be prime minister.
In addition to a possible parliamentary investigation, according to the press, Boris Johnson is not immune to new fines for his participation in at least five other festive events. In addition, at an unknown time, he has to face the conclusions of the officer Sue Gray, who has already put down “misconduct and judgment errors” in a preliminary report.