The UK Parliament overwhelmingly approved a committee report documenting former Prime Minister Johnson’s lies in the Partygate affair. However, many Conservative MPs were absent from the debate.
Members of the UK House of Commons have approved the Parliamentary Committee’s report that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson lied to Parliament about partying in his seat during the coronavirus lockdown.
MPs thus approved the sanctions provided for in the report, including a parliamentary ban on the former conservative politician. The report was approved by 354 deputies, only seven voted against.
Many mainly conservative MPs, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, abstained. MPs had previously discussed whether they would agree with the parliamentary committee’s conclusions and support the proposed penalties for the former prime minister.
Criticism of Sunak’s absence
In the 106-page report released on Thursday, committee members concluded that Johnson lied to lawmakers about partying at his official residence during the coronavirus lockdown. They want Johnson to lose access to Parliament normally enjoyed by former British leaders.
Lower House Leader Penny Mordaunt had already announced earlier in the session that she wanted to vote in favor of the report. However, she stressed that all MPs should make their own decisions.
Sunak stayed away from the vote, which the opposition interpreted as a “weakness”. “If the prime minister is not even able to show leadership when it comes to holding liars to account, how can he expect the people of this country to trust him in anything else,” said Labor MP Thangam Debbonaire.
Aftermath of the “Partygate” affair
As a consequence of the so-called “Partygate” case about partying during the corona lockdown, Johnson had already resigned as head of government in July last year. On June 11 of this year, he resigned as a member of parliament.
As he has already left Parliament, the vote in the House of Commons has no major consequences for him. Otherwise, he would have been suspended for 90 days as an MP for his behavior.