oris johnson fights for his political future MPs examining his partygate denials denounced the “flimsy” assurances they were based on.
In sometimes irascible testimonies that lasted more than three hours, the former prime minister insisted there was no “piece of evidence” to show he had lied to MPs.
It would have been “completely insane” for him to mislead Parliament, he told the Privileges Committee which could recommend his suspension from the House of Commons.
I think Boris Johnson is done anyway
If a 10-day adjournment proposal is passed by MPs, there could be a by-election in Mr Johnson’s seat, potentially ending his parliamentary career.
Arch loyal Jacob Rees-Mogg said Mr Johnson won public support with his defence, despite being met with exasperation from several members of the cross-party panel of MPs who put him to the test.
The Tory MP told Channel 4 News: “I think if Boris Johnson went to a by-election he would win it easily. Because I think he’s winning in the court of public opinion, which sees this as a kangaroo court.”
Mr Johnson declined to repeat such attacks against the investigation by some of his supporters, but lashed out at the “manifestly unfair” process.
He seemed to argue that the fairness of the commission would be proven if he were cleared of any wrongdoing.
He accepted he had misled MPs but said he did not do so “recklessly”, insisting he denied the lockdown breaches “in good faith” on advice from officials, who were proven wrong.
Harriet Harmanthe Labor chairwoman of the Tory majority committee, asked if he could see why they were “a little baffled at the flimsy nature” of the insurance.
Senior Tory sir Bernard Jenkins questioned why Mr Johnson did not take “correct advice”, which Mr Johnson angrily dismissed as “complete nonsense”.
Mr Johnson also lashed out at Alberto Costa for expressing a “completely ludicrous assessment” after the Conservative suggested his reliance on advisers was a “distraction mechanism”.
The former Prime Minister was also dealt a blow when he saw his revolt against his successor Rishi Sunak’s new Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland fail.
He took a break from the committee hearing to vote against a key part of the Windsor Framework, but was joined by just 21 Tory rebel MPs, meaning it passed easily.
Mr Johnson indicated he could refuse to accept the inquiry’s ruling if it is found that he was contemptuous of Parliament by deliberately misleading the House of Commons, saying he would “wait and see”.
The comment was echoed by Conservative Party chairman Greg Hands when asked if the committee was fair to Mr Johnson.
“We’ll have to wait and see,” he told ITV1’s Peston. “I think it’s impossible to judge that until we see the report.”
Senior Tory MP Caroline Nokes predicted that any hope Mr Johnson might have of returning to Downing Street is futile.
When asked if he is ready when he is punished, she told Peston: “I think Boris Johnson is ready anyway.”
A campaign group representing survivors of the pandemic accused Mr Johnson of distracting and blaming everyone but himself.
Lobby Akinnola, of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, told BBC Newsnight: “A fair question is: should he be advised to tell the truth? And I think second, does he need advice to follow his own rules that he’s made?