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LONDON DAILY ARCHIVE

Conservative MPs Divided Over Report Condemning Boris Johnson for Misleading Parliament

Conservative MPs are divided over whether to approve a report condemning former Prime Minister Boris Johnson for misleading Parliament over COVID rule-breaking.

15 June 2023 · 20:18 UTC

The report, which was produced by the Privileges Committee, found that Johnson had "personal knowledge" of Covid-rule breaches in Downing Street but had failed to investigate the facts.

Some Tory MPs are planning to vote against the report's recommendations, while others are undecided and may abstain from voting.

Many Conservatives face a dilemma as voting against the report risks alienating those who want Johnson gone, but voting for it risks angering fans of Johnson who believe he has been unfairly hounded out of Parliament.

The main punishment available is stripping Johnson of the parliamentary pass that former MPs are entitled to hold.

The report's findings have been criticized by some Conservatives, including Nadine Dorries, who suggested that Tories who vote for the report should be kicked out of the party.

The report's conclusions have been described as "damning" by Tim Loughton, who is likely to support the report, but others have expressed concern about the severity of the punishment proposed.

The vote is expected to take place on Monday, and MPs will be able to amend the motion approving the report.

Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, announced his resignation after receiving a report from a committee.

He accused the committee of bias in his resignation letter and used strong language.

The committee responded by saying that his statement was unacceptable.