Sunday 7 August 2022 10:25 PM Tories 'must quit Boris Johnson witch-hunt': Minister tells MPs to abandon ... trends now
Tory MPs involved in a ‘witchhunt’ investigation into Boris Johnson over Partygate should quit the inquiry team, a Cabinet minister said tonight.
Allies of the Prime Minister today attacked the ‘kangaroo court’ probe by the Commons privileges committee into whether Mr Johnson misled Parliament.
They said the committee’s remit had been ‘rewritten in order to facilitate a guilty verdict’ before it even began work.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries tonight urged the four Tory MPs on the committee to ‘have no part in this Machiavellian process’ and step down from the probe immediately.
The inquiry’s broad terms of reference mean the PM can be found in contempt for unintentionally misleading the Commons about lockdown-busting Downing Street gatherings - even if he did not deliberately lie.
Allies of Prime Minister Boris Johnson attacked the ‘kangaroo court’ probe by the Commons privileges committee into whether Mr Johnson misled Parliament
And despite already resigning from No 10, Mr Johnson could be kicked out as an MP if the seven-strong committee rules against him.
Mrs Dorries told the Daily Mail: ‘If this witch-hunt continues, it will be the most egregious abuse of power witnessed in Westminster.
‘It will cast serious doubt not only on the reputation of individual MPs sitting on the committee but on Parliament and democracy itself.
‘It would be the equivalent of a kangaroo court which would set a parliamentary precedent which in itself, will return to haunt every politician and prime minister, of whatever party, in the future. The terms of reference of the inquiry have been rewritten in order to facilitate a guilty verdict before the inquiry has even begun.
‘We are the lawmakers – the MPs on this committee would be taking that duty to a new level, outside of the principles of fairness and into a dark place of unnatural justice.
‘Each Conservative member should do the right thing, have no part in this Machiavellian process, call it out for what it is, and resign from the committee now.’
Lord Goldsmith, who was made a Conservative peer by Mr Johnson in 2019, blasted the ‘highly partisan, vengeful and vindictive’ MPs on the committee. All four Tory members of the committee – Sir Bernard Jenkin, Laura Farris, Alberto Costa and Andy Carter – have criticised the Prime Minister over his lockdown breaches.
Nadine Dorries, Secretary of State for Culture, told the Daily Mail: ‘If this witch-hunt continues, it will be the most egregious abuse of power witnessed in Westminster
Tonight none wanted to comment on the suggestion they should stand down from the committee.
But a senior Tory MP, who is an ally of the Prime Minister, said they were all feeling the pressure and suggested some may stand down to make way for more experienced politicians who would be seen as more impartial.
The cross-party committee, due to start its investigation into Mr Johnson next month, is chaired by Labour grandee Harriet Harman – even though she branded the Prime Minister ‘unspeakable’ and ‘disgraceful’ for breaking Covid rules.
The other members are Labour former shadow minister Yvonne Fovargue and the SNP’s Allan Dorans.
Lord Goldsmith said: ‘The Partygate probe is clearly rigged. It is a jury comprised of highly partisan, vengeful and vindictive MPs, nearly all of whom are already on the record viciously attacking the person they are judging. It is an obscene abuse of power.’
The committee will decide on the balance of probabilities whether Mr Johnson’s conduct ‘amounts to a contempt of the House’ and MPs will then have to vote on its conclusions and any sanctions.
It had been widely assumed that the inquiry would have to prove Mr Johnson had lied or knowingly misled the Commons. But last month the committee announced it had lowered the bar by ruling that his intentions are unnecessary.
Lord Zac Goldsmith said: ‘The Partygate probe is clearly rigged. It is a jury comprised of highly partisan, vengeful and vindictive MPs, nearly all of whom are already on the record viciously attacking the person they are judging'
Tory MP Michael Fabricant said: ‘Labour want a by-election to get rid of Boris altogether and the privileges committee have changed the rules to do that. Disgraceful and a stitch-up.’
Marco Longhi, the Tory MP for Dudley North and an ally of Mr Johnson, warned last night: ‘I have no doubt that there are MPs who would like to see the PM diminished. I am not one of them.
‘In my experience as an elected member making decisions, whether it be planning, standards or appointments, it is crucial that any such member taking part in those decisions can be seen to have acted impartially and without prejudice.’
His colleague Sally Ann-Hart added: ‘The whole process is a witch-hunt – Boris Johnson has already resigned.’
Leadership favourite Liz Truss refused to say last week whether she would strip the Tory whip from Mr Johnson if he is found to have lied to MPs, saying she would not make any ‘prejudgments’ – but stressing that she believes he ‘didn’t mislead Parliament’.
A spokesman for the privileges committee said: ‘The House of Commons as a whole approved a motion to appoint Harriet Harman to the committee. The other six members of the committee, which has a Government party majority, then elected Harriet Harman as chairman unanimously.’
The grandee
Sir Bernard Jenkins
Sir Bernard Jenkin is the Conservative MP for Harwich and North Essex.
The former Boris Johnson ally skewered the Prime Minister in the days before his resignation, saying: ‘There’s no question, it’s over for Boris Johnson as Prime Minister.’ He also warned him he should leave with grace rather than being ‘forced out like Donald Trump clinging to power’.
Sir Bernard also chaired a humiliating session of the Liaison Committee, where he allowed a Labour MP to announce the resignation of members of Mr Johnson’s Government on live television as they happened.
Ahead of his appearance, Sir Bernard said that the PM should not expect an ‘easy ride’ and said he wouldn’t be ‘pulling his punches’.
The magistrate
Andy Carter MP
Andy Carter is the Conservative MP for Warrington South.
He has refused to comment on Partygate investigations but said: ‘Given the events of the last few days, which have nothing to do with the statements Boris Johnson made to Parliament, I believe this is in the nation’s best interests.’ He resigned from his Parliamentary Private Secretary role to take part in the Privileges Committee inquiry, saying: ‘Contempt is a matter which would require Mr Johnson to resign if he were to be found in breach.’
He has refrained from publicly criticising Mr Johnson, with a spokesman suggesting he ‘would not make a statement as he sits on the board of the standards committee and that would be contrary to protocol’.
The solicitor
Alberto Costa MP
Alberto Costa, Conservative MP for South Leicestershire, made a swipe at Mr Johnson last month saying: ‘It’s imperative the next leader of the party, and the next PM, places standards and integrity at the core of government.’
He also said there had been ‘breakdown in good governance’ under Mr Johnson and standards ‘must improve’.
He was a strong backer of Penny Mordaunt to be prime minister before she was knocked out of the leadership contest, saying: ‘She looks like a prime minister. She sounds like a prime minister. She is a prime minister in waiting.’
The Remainer was asked to step down from his role as Parliamentary Private Secretary in 2019 after tabling an amendment to protect the rights of EU citizens.
The Rishi supporter
Laura Farris MP
Laura Farris is the Conservative MP for Newbury.
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