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Media responds to Johnson’s MP resignation

12 June 2023234 views0

Boris Johnson made the snap decision to immediately stand down as a Conservative MP following the result of the Partygate report.

The committee concluded that he misled the House of Commons repeatedly following denials around breaches of Covid-19 restrictions at Downing Street and other government offices, particularly between May 202 and January 2021. The report states that Johnson’s “personal knowledge of breaches”, along with “repeated failures pro-actively to investigate” them, amounted to “a deliberate closing of his mind” to the facts.

“Someone who is repeatedly reckless and continues to deny that which is patent is a person whose conduct is sufficient to demonstrate intent,” the committee said.

The committee recommended a 90-day suspension on the basis of:

deliberately misleading the House of Commons
deliberately misleading the committee
breaching confidence
impugning the committee and thereby undermining the democratic process of the House
being complicit in the campaign of abuse and attempted intimidation of the committee

In response, Johnson resigned with a statement, that said,

I have received a letter from the privileges committee making it clear – much to my amazement – that they are determined to use the proceedings against me to drive me out of parliament.

They have still not produced a shred of evidence that I knowingly or recklessly misled the Commons.

[…]

I did not lie, and I believe that in their hearts the Committee know it.

Here’s how the papers covered the announcement. Unless otherwise linked, headlines are front page stories on June 10 2023.

Boris: I’ve been forced out by a witch-hunt

-Ex-PM quits as MP with blast at ‘kangaroo court’
-He says his ousting sets a ‘dangerous and unsettling precedent’
-Claims ‘political hitjob’ is revenge for Brexit
-And attacks Tories for ‘endlessly’ putting up tax

Daily Mail