Boris Johnson 'deliberately' misled MPs over lockdown parties, inquiry finds

Former British prime minister Boris Johnson knowingly misled MPs and was “deliberately disingenuous”, according to the committee investigating the “Partygate” scandal in its report published on Thursday.

The committee was investigating whether Johnson had lied to parliament about parties at his official residence in 2020 and 2021, when Covid-19 health measures prohibited most gatherings. According to the report, he was guilty of this on several occasions.

It says he deliberately misled the House and the committee, impugned the committee and was “complicit in the campaign of abuse and attempted intimidation of the committee”.

Johnson was able to see the draft report last week and resigned as an MP with immediate effect on Friday, calling the committee a “kangaroo court” whose purpose was “to find me guilty, regardless of the facts”. 

“The committee believes that if Mr Johnson were still a member, he should be suspended from the service of parliament for 90 days for repeated contempt and attempting to undermine the parliamentary process,” the report says.

In its 30,000-word report, the committee advises against Johnson being allowed a former member’s pass, which allows continued access to parliament for former MPs.

^{© JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP}