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Boris Johnson claimed he was the “victim of a witch-hunt” as he announced he was resigning as an MP, accusing a Commons investigation into whether he misled Parliament over partygate of attempting to drive him out.
The former prime minister compared the Privileges Committee probe to a “kangaroo court” as he quit.
Calling for the committee’s investigation to be ended, he said he believed it was “determined to use the proceedings against me to drive me out of parliament”.
But some saw his wording as a hint he would make a comeback and mount a leadership challenge to Rishi Sunak, at whom he also took a swipe.
“It is very sad to be leaving Parliament – at least for now – but above all I am bewildered and appalled that I can be forced out, anti-democratically, by a committee chaired and managed, by Harriet Harman, with such egregious bias,” he said.
The Privileges Committee has been investigating whether Mr Johnson misled MPs when he assured them that Covid rules were followed in No 10 following allegations of lockdown-busting parties.
Johnson quits over probe into whether he misled parliament
Boris Johnson is resigning as an MP after accusing a Commons investigation into whether he misled Parliament over partygate of attempting to “drive me out”.
The former prime minister, in a statement to the media, compared the Privileges Committee probe to a “kangaroo court” as he announced his intention to step down as MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
He said, after receiving a letter from the committee, he believed it was “determined to use the proceedings against me to drive me out of Parliament”.
“It is very sad to be leaving Parliament – at least for now – but above all I am bewildered and appalled that I can be forced out, anti-democratically, by a committee chaired and managed, by Harriet Harman, with such egregious bias,” he said.
The announcement, coming only hours after his resignation honours list had been published, means the Conservatives are likely to face a tough battle to hold onto the London seat at a by-election.
It was the second by-election triggered on Friday following former culture secretary Nadine Dorries’ decision to quit the Commons immediately, rather than wait until the next election.
We are resuming our earlier political coverage, which had been suspended.
‘Johnson should be angry with Tories who voted against him’
Mr Johnson’s rage is directed at committee chairwoman Harriet Harman, but she had a casting vote only if votes were tied, as chief political commentator John Rentoul points out. Four Tories on the committee went against him:
‘Self-serving and dishonest’
Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy tweeted a scathing assessment of Mr Johnson, hitting out at his alleged breach of Covid laws.
He tweeted: “Good riddance please to the most self-serving, venal, divisive and dishonest prime minister of my lifetime.
“You will forever be remembered as the prime minister who thought himself above the laws he created for everyone else.”
Johnson’s resignation honours ‘sickening insult’
Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list, released shortly before he announced he was stepping down, was branded a “sickening insult” to the bereaved after he gave honours to allies embroiled in the Partygate scandal, including one dubbed ‘party Marty’.
Martin Reynolds, his former principal private secretary who boasted “we seem to have got away with” the ‘bring your own booze’ garden party” during coronavirus restrictions, received a gong.
Priti Patel praises ‘political titan’
Mr Johnson’s home secretary Priti Patel said he had served his country and his constituency with distinction.
“He led world in supporting Ukraine, got Brexit done, and was our most electorally successful prime minister since Margaret Thatcher. Boris is a political titan whose legacy will stand the test of time,” she wrote.
Jenkyns refuses to quit
Tory MP for Morley and Outwood, Dame Andrea Jenkyns, who was nominated for the honour by Boris Johnson, has said she would not stand down too.
She tweeted: “To the journalists calling me tonight, just to clarify I am certainly not resigning.
“Its (sic) a great honour to serve my constituents & our great country. The unjust events & Boris Johnson resignation tonight has made me more determined to stand up to the blob wherever they reside.”
‘Good riddance’ to man not fit to be MP, say Lib Dems
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said Mr Johnson “was never fit to be an MP let alone prime minister of our great country”.
He broke the law and lied about it, and had jumped before he was pushed, he said.
Party deputy leader Daisy Cooper said it was “good riddance” to Mr Johnson.
Labour has 19-point lead in Uxbridge
Polling released by Savanta suggests Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour currently holds a 19-point lead over the Tories in Mr Johnson’s former west London constituency.
It puts Labour on 52 per cent against the Tories’ 33 per cent.
‘Pathetic farce generated by egotist and charlatan’
Remain-supporting MP Anna Soubry condemned the “psycho-drama in the Conservative Party” when there are bigger issues a government should be looking at.
“Instead we have this pathetic farce generated, as ever, by the great egotist and charlatan, Boris Johnson,” she said.
Dismissing the idea the committee was a stitch-up, she said Mr Johnson clearly wasn’t confident he would get the necessary support in the Commons.
His constituents facing the cost-of-living crisis had been badly served, she told Sky News.
He jumped before he was pushed, say SNP
The SNP’s deputy Westminster leader said Mr Johnson had “jumped before he was pushed”.
Mhairi Black, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South, said: “Boris Johnson has jumped before he was pushed, and no one in Scotland will be sorry to see the back of him but he has also underlined the weakness of Rishi Sunak, who has no authority over the bitterly divided Tory party.
“Sunak has been utterly humiliated. On the day he was forced to accept Johnson’s dodgy honours list to shore up his position, his predecessor has stuck two fingers up at him and reminded everyone that Sunak was unable to take action for fear of a leadership challenge.
“This sordid Tory scandal is yet another reminder of how broken and corrupt the Westminster system is – and why it is essential that Scotland becomes an independent country, so we can escape Westminster control and get rid of unelected Tory governments for good.”
