Boris Johnson fights to save his seat over contempt claim

Boris Johnson allies accept it’s a ‘foregone conclusion’ he’ll be found in contempt of parliament as the PM tries to avoid a recall petition.

Boris Johnson is fighting to save his seat. Picture: AFP.

Boris Johnson is taking legal advice over a privileges committee investigation as those close to him accept it is a “foregone conclusion” that he will be found in contempt of parliament.

The prime minister is fighting to save his seat by arguing for a lenient punishment that would avoid a recall petition. A petition could result in him leaving the Commons only weeks after being pushed out of Downing Street.

Some of Johnson’s senior team have all but given up hope of escaping censure after the committee of MPs who will decide his fate concluded that he did not have to have knowingly misled the Commons to be found in contempt.

Allies of the prime minister have attempted to argue that this means the process is “rigged”, with loyalists such as Nadine Dorries, the culture secretary, condemning the investigation as a “witch-hunt”.

The committee hit back yesterday, criticising attempts to “undermine” and “subvert” the process and “intimidate” members. Harriet Harman, the Labour MP who is chairing the committee during the inquiry, and the Conservative MP Sir Bernard Jenkin wrote in The Times Red Box: “There have been unfounded allegations about ‘goalposts being moved’ and ‘rules changed’. But this is inaccurate.

“The House should be reluctant to allow intimidation and the targeting of individuals to subvert the proper processes. We will not let this succeed.”

Another senior Conservative MP said there was anger at Johnson for using his final days in power to try to undermine the legitimacy of the committee. “There are a lot of quite steady colleagues who are just horrified by that kind of conduct that we’re seeing from people like Nadine,” they said.

“It is the most toxic thing. Especially for the Conservative MPs who have been appointed to that committee by the chief whip. Then to find themselves attacked for being prepared to serve is really quite shocking.”

Senior figures in No 10 accept it is now clear that after police issued 126 fines for breaching coronavirus laws, the privileges committee will conclude that Johnson was wrong in telling the Commons that “all guidance was followed in No 10” and that “no Covid rules were broken”.

Johnson hopes that by arguing he did not deliberately lie he can avoid a suspension from the Commons of more than ten days, which would allow his Uxbridge constituents to petition for a by-election.

In April, in the face of backbench anger, Johnson was forced to accept an investigation by MPs into whether his statements over Downing Street parties amounted to holding parliament in contempt.

After taking advice from senior Commons officials, the committee has concluded that “intention is not necessary for a contempt to be committed”.

Johnson has already acknowledged to MPs that some behaviour in No 10 was “clearly in breach of the rules” although he insists he told the House “what I believed to be true”.

“It is a foregone conclusion that he is found to have misled parliament. Whether it is knowingly or not might affect the sanction,” one senior source among his allies said.

While Johnson has not given up hope of a comeback, some around him question whether he could be “bothered” to go through the bruising process that would follow a potential recall petition.

Johnson is understood to be taking both legal and political advice on what to tell the committee. It has asked for written evidence and will question him in person when parliament returns. He will be allowed to bring a lawyer although he is thought unlikely to do so.

A No 10 spokeswoman said: “It is a longstanding convention across successive administrations not to comment on the fact or contents of legal advice, that may or may not have been sought or received.”

The Times