MPs Approve Report Criticising Johnson Allies For 'Co-Ordinated' Attack On Partygate Probe

MPs have nodded through a report criticising allies of Boris Johnson after the former prime minister repeatedly lied to parliament about partygate.

Nadine Dorries andJacob Rees-Mogg were among those singled out for mounting a “co-ordinated” attack on the privileges committee of MPs.

Their report slammed the outspoken attacks on the committee, which has a Conservative majority, when it published its findings into Johnson – who would have been in line for a 90-day Commons suspension if he had not already quit.

On Monday, MPs approved the privileges committee report without it having to go to a formal vote. 

Commons leader Penny Mordaunt said the report was an “exceptional situation” and not part of the usual “cut and thrust of politics”.

Introducing the debate, she told the Commons: “I hope colleagues who have been named will reflect on their actions.”

The motion also sought to make clear about how MPs should behave when a privileges committee inquiry is taking place.

The committee ruled that Johnson “committed a serious contempt” by denying that lockdown rules had been broken in Downing Street when he was PM.

Johnson – who resigned as an MP after seeing an advanced copy of the report – described it as “the final knife-thrust in a protracted political assassination”.

As well as the suspension, the committee also called for him to lose his parliamentary pass – a move overwhelmingly backed by MPs.

Rees-Mogg, who was knighted in Johnson’s resignation honours list, described the proposed 90-day sanction as “vindictive”, while Dorries said the inquiry was a “witch-hunt”.

In the Commons on Monday, Rees-Mogg appeared unrepentant.

He said he had no intention to “impugn the individual members of the committee” but added it was “legitimate and it is legitimate to question the position of the chairman of the committee” – a reference to veteran Labour MP Harriett Harman, who had been attacked by Tory MPs.

He said: “When we try to silence people because they say things that we do not like, we risk looking ridiculous.”

In the report, the committee complained of “the improper pressure brought to bear on the committee and its members throughout this inquiry”.

“We are concerned in particular at the involvement of members of both houses in attempting to influence the outcome of the inquiry,” the committee said.

“Those members did not choose to engage through any proper process such as the submission of letters or evidence to our inquiry, but by attacking the members of the committee, in order to influence their judgement.” 

The committee highlighted a number of “disturbing examples” of attacks on the committee’s work by MPs and peers on TV, radio and social media.

On June 15, Dorries tweeted: “We also need to keep a close eye on the careers of the Conservative MPs who sat on that committee. Do they suddenly find themselves on chicken runs into safe seats? Gongs? Were promises made? We need to know if they were. Justice has to be seen to be done at all levels of this process.”

Priti Patel, Andrea Jenkyns, Mark Jenkinson, Brendan Clarke-Smith and Michael Fabricant were also criticised in the report.