As the majority of lawmakers support the “partygate” investigation, former UK PM Boris Johnson loses lifelong access to Parliament

The British House of Commons on Monday supported a report that found former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson guilty of lying to the nation about breaching lockdown rules that were set under his direction, dealing him a severe blow. It has now denied the former prime minister lifelong access to Parliament, a “humiliating” move.
Following a discussion in which many argued that it was important to demonstrate to people that politicians are required to abide by the law and speak the truth, MPs supported the decision that Johnson was in contempt of Parliament by 354 votes to 7 in the House of Commons. Theresa May, a member of the Conservative Party and Johnson’s predecessor as prime minister, spoke on the matter and emphasised the need to demonstrate to the people that “there is not one rule for them and another for us.”

Having lawmakers support the report is essential for preserving confidence.

House of Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt encouraged legislators to “do what they think is right” as she opened the five-hour discussion. Like Johnson, Mordaunt is a Conservative and has said that she would vote to support the Commons Privileges Committee’s findings. “This is significant because our institutions’ integrity is important. It matters whether you treat people with respect and confidence, she remarked. The accountability of lawmakers to one another and the constituents they serve is affected in the actual world by this.

A few Johnson supporters stood forward to support the former leader. Lia Nici, a lawmaker, said, “I cannot see the evidence where Boris Johnson misled Parliament knowingly, intentionally, or recklessly.”

However, more Conservatives and all of the opposition legislators who spoke backed the findings. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, along with a large number of other Conservative legislators, skipped the discussion. He remained aside out of concern for upsetting Johnson’s surviving fans. The prime minister had “a number of commitments,” according to Sunak’s spokesperson Max Blain, including a meeting with the president of Sweden.

Why the confusion?

Johnson, who celebrated his 59th birthday on Monday, wasn’t either. He resigned as prime minister in September 2022, although he continued to serve in the legislature until the Privileges Committee’s conclusions were made known to him on June 9. The discussion on Monday was the most recent repercussion of the “partygate” issue involving parties at Downing Street and other official locations in 2020 and 2021.

When it was revealed that political staffers had birthday parties, garden parties, and “wine time Fridays” during the pandemic, it infuriated Britons who had abided by the regulations put in place to stop the coronavirus from spreading and were unable to visit friends and family or even say goodbye to relatives who were dying in hospitals.