Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Friday evening to hand over his mandate as an MP, citing the parliamentary inquiry into the “partygate”the parties held in Downing Street in breach of health restrictions linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Boris Johnson, 58, said his decision was effective immediately, triggering a by-election that will add further political pressure on his successor Rishi Sunak. There’s one year old almost to the day, the former mayor of London had announced that he was leaving the head of the conservative party and, in fact, his functions.
“Blatant bias”
A year after being ousted from Downing Street by his majority after three years in power marked by a succession of scandals, Boris Johnson remained under the influence of a parliamentary inquiry to determine whether he had deceived Parliament in the affair of the “partygate”. The procedure, led by the privileges commission, is in the process of finishing its work and had just, according to the British press, submitted its conclusions to the former leader.
“I have received a letter from the Privileges Committee which makes it clear – to my astonishment – that they are determined to use the procedure against me to oust me from Parliament,” the former Tory Prime Minister wrote in a statement. . “I am very sad to leave Parliament – at least for now – but above all I am appalled that I have been forced to leave, in an undemocratic way”, he added, accusing the committee of “flagrant bias “. In this press release, he accuses the commission of having produced a report which has not yet been published, “riddled with inaccuracies and reeks of prejudice”, without giving him “any formal opportunity to challenge what they say”.
The “honors list” made public
After they leave Downing Street, British heads of government draw up an “honors list” with the names of the people they want to see ennobled or elevated to the House of Lords. This list is then studied by a government committee and then by Downing Street. Just before the announcement of his decision, the “list of honors” of the former British Conservative Prime Minister was published on Friday, with distinctions granted to his Brexit allies, a hairdresser, but not to his father.
On the other hand, Priti Patel, former Minister of the Interior and loyal to Boris Johnson for Brexit, becomes “Dame”. Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of a group of very Eurosceptic Tory MPs, becomes him “Sir”. Kelly Dodge, hairdresser in Parliament, is on the list of awards for advisers, speechwriters and personal istants.