Johnson allies to be criticised over Partygate probe

A Commons committee that investigated Boris Johnson over Partygate is anticipated to criticise his supporters on Thursday.

The former prime minister give up as an MP after the Privileges Committee discovered he misled Parliament over Covid breaches in No 10.

Some of his allies, together with Nadine Dorries, criticised its inquiry.

It has claimed there was a “sustained attempt” to “undermine” its credibility.

In their report into Mr Johnson, they mentioned the criticism of their work may make it “impossible” for equally delicate inquiries to be held in future.

The cross-party committee has seven members, of which 4 are Tory MPs, two Labour and one from the Scottish National Party.

Its investigation, launched final April, discovered Mr Johnson intentionally misled Parliament over lockdown events in authorities and he ought to have been suspended for 90 days if he’d remained an MP.

Mr Johnson introduced his choice to stand down earlier than its remaining report was printed, branding the committee a “kangaroo court” in a blistering resignation assertion.

In the ultimate report, the committee mentioned he had undermined Parliament by “impugning” them – for which they’d lengthened their proposed sanction.

Several allies additionally criticised the committee, together with backbench MP Brendan Clarke-Smith, who referred to as its conclusions “spiteful, vindictive and overreaching”.

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, who was additionally a cupboard minister below Mr Johnson, described the proposed 90-day sanction as “vindictive”, whereas Nadine Dorries described the committee’s inquiry as a “witch-hunt”.

At a debate on the committee’s report after it was printed, Mr Rees-Mogg added it was “perfectly reasonable” for MPs to problem the findings of committees.

“For some reason, the Privileges Committee thinks it is in communist China and that we must kowtow,” he added.

The BBC has been informed that Thursday’s “special report” will go away the reader in little doubt which MPs the committee is referring to in its criticisms.

Privately, some MPs regard it as ridiculous that MPs ought to be restricted indirectly about what they will say publicly a couple of committee of their friends investigating a colleague.

“It is ludicrous that this committee is behaving like it is a court of law, when it clearly is not,” one informed the BBC.

Any conclusions or suggestions from the Privileges Committee would have to be endorsed by Parliament to ensure that the foundations surrounding its inquiries to change.