As per the investigative report by the House of Commons Privileges Committee, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson deliberately misled the parliament on several occasion regarding the Partygate Scandal, where Johnson and his colleagues had repeatedly broken covid rules to host parties in 10 Downing Street.
After former US Prez Donald Trump, another head of state of another superpower has recently come under fire. The House of Commons Privileges Committee, who was investigating breach of covid rules on multiple instances at 10 Downing Street in 2021-22, published its report on 15th June 2023 wherein it found former British Prime Minister guilty of deliberately misleading the UK parliament on several instances regarding the incident being dubbed as the Partygate Scandal.
The Partygate Scandal refers to several late-night drinking parties hosted at the Prime Minister’s Residence during covid, resulting in a breach of several covid guidelines including the ones prohibiting gatherings indoor.
The committee stated that under normal circumstances, it would have recommended a suspension for 90 days to Johnson. However, factoring in the gravity of the scandal as found in the report, the former PM “should not be granted a former members’ pass.”
What Does the Report Say?
The report spanning more than 100 pages and 30,000 words concluded that the former leader of the Conservative Party committed contempt of parliament on multiple occasions, breached the parliament’s confidence, and challenged the committee, thereby impugning the democratic processes of the lower house of UK’s parliament. Moreover, the committee also levelled serious charges of Johnson being “complicit in the campaign of abuse and attempted intimidation of the committee.”
The detailed report cited six events hosted at 10 Downing Street during the 2021-22 period. It asserted that former PM Johnson committed “serious contempt” by his deliberate misleading of the House. Furthermore, the report also emphasized the gravity of the contempt as it was committed by “the most senior member of the government,” i.e., the prime minister. The report added that it is hitherto unprecedented for a prime minister to have mislead the House of Commons.
Boris Johnson Responds, Rishi Sunak Dodges
Boris Johnson, the subject of all accusations, responded to the report after it was published. In his response, he reiterating his compliance with the guidance of the committee when it investigating the scandal. Johnson also lashed out at the committee, calling its findings “rubbish” and the investigation as a “witch-hunt.”
While defending his stance, Johnson stated that it was not only him but all of them who thought that they were following rules and guidance completely, “notwithstanding the difficulties of maintaining social distancing at all times” Johnson also accused the committee of acting like a “kangaroo court.”
On the other hand, current British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak refused to comment on the report published by the House of Commons Privileges Committee when asked by reporters. In a video, PM Sunak can be seen repeatedly dodging the question, replying that he cannot comment on the report that he has not read yet. PM Sunak was the finance minister in the then PM Johnson’s cabinet, and was privy to the parties hosted by Johnson.
What was the Partygate Scandal?
The Partygate Scandal involved several instances of partying in violation of the covid rules and regulations laid out by the government. The incident refers to a string of recurrent parties hosted at 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the Prime Minister. In April 2022, a motion was put by the opposition that the then PM Johnson’s statements appeared to be misleading about the parties, and an investigation should be carried out.
Johnson resigned as PM on 7th July 2022 as pressure from the Partygate scandal mounted. On 9th June 2023, Johnson resigned from the parliament in anticipation of the report by the House of Commons Privileges Committee. The Partygate scandal shattered a relatively stable government, indirectly plunging the superpower nation into political and economic turmoil.