Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is planning to sidestep a debate on Monday on whether to punish his predecessor Boris Johnson and accept the findings of a probe that found the former premier misled parliament, as he seeks to avoid inflaming an internal Conservative Party row.
(Bloomberg) — Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is planning to sidestep a debate on Monday on whether to punish his predecessor Boris Johnson and accept the findings of a probe that found the former premier misled parliament, as he seeks to avoid inflaming an internal Conservative Party row.
The House of Commons later on Monday is set to discuss the damning report into what Johnson told Parliament about the “Partygate” scandal — a series of Covid lockdown-breaking gatherings in Downing Street during successive lockdowns. But Sunak’s spokesman, Max Blain told reporters the premier has a number of commitments, including a meeting with his Swedish counterpart and a dinner, and has no current plans to attend the debate.
“Currently you’ve got his schedule for today which doesn’t include attending Parliament,” Blain said. “We will monitor the situation in Parliament.”
Sunak’s stance will help avert fanning tensions with Johnson backers in his ruling Conservative Party, but is likely to draw accusations that he’s breaking a pledge to clean up UK politics. Johnson turned 59 on Monday.
The report by the majority-Conservative Privileges Committee found Johnson committed a “serious contempt” of Parliament, deliberately and repeatedly misleading the House of Commons. The panel’s members recommended the former premier — who stood down earlier this month as an MP — be stripped of his right to the automatic access to Westminster enjoyed by former lawmakers, and said they would have recommended a 90-day suspension from the Commons had he remained a member.
If it is pushed to a vote, Sunak has given his MPs license to go with their conscience. Many Conservative lawmakers are expected to abstain, fearing a backlash from party members and voters who remain loyal to the former prime minister. But the votes of opposition lawmakers are expected to ensure the report’s findings and recommendations are upheld.
‘Integrity’
Blain said Sunak doesn’t feel it’s right to express his own view ahead of a free vote. Asked whether Sunak would cast a vote, Blain said “I don’t think we know if there will be a vote on this yet.”
When he became premier last October Sunak pledged to bring “integrity and accountability” to politics following the fallout from the premierships of Johnson and Liz Truss. By ducking the debate he will allow his opponents to accuse him of putting party ahead of country.
Earlier Monday Labour leader Keir Starmer urged Sunak to attend the debate and “show us where he stands” on the issue. “What his predecessor got up to was unacceptable,” Starmer told BBC radio. “If the prime minister wants to lead, he has to come in to parliament and vote in this debate this afternoon to show where he stands on this issue.”
Both Johnson and Sunak were fined by the police for their involvement in one of the Partygate gatherings, and the scandal still casts a long shadow over the government and the ruling Tories. At the weekend, the Mirror published fresh footage of one of the events police investigated, showing a man and a woman dancing, while off-camera, someone comments “as long as we don’t stream that we’re like, bending the rules.”
By-Elections
The party’s poll lead, forged on the back of the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out, crumbled under the weight of scandal as public trust in Johnson and his ministers collapsed.
The melodrama over Johnson has dogged Sunak for over a week, with the Tories now being forced to defend a series of by-elections late in an electoral cycle, ahead of a general election expected next year.
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