Another blow to the political career of former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Parliament endorsed the report detailing that he had “deliberately lied” about parties being held in his office during the quarantine imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Also a resounding blow was the vote in support of the results of the investigations that were conducted. 354 votes in favor and seven against decided that Johnson was in contempt of the House. With this action, the kingdom’s lawmakers are leaving a clear message: No one is above the rules.
The former head of government, Theresa May, based her speech on this line of thought. “It is important to show the audience that there is no rule for them and another for us,” he said in the midst of a debate that lasted about five hours.
Conservative Leader of the House of Commons – like Johnson – Penny Mordaunt, for her part, said what was discussed was “important” because it emphasized the “integrity” of the institutions. “This has realistic consequences for the accountability of MPs to each other and to the public they represent,” he said.
In exchange there were conflicting opinions. Some pro-Johnson MPs defended him against the charges, while others raised their voices against the former prime minister.
On the other hand, one notable absence was that of the current head of 10 Downing Street, Rishi Sunak. Despite the fact that his spokesperson defended his vacancy claiming scheduling problems, press agencies such as the Associated Press maintain that he wanted to stay out, fearing his presence would upset Johnson supporters who remained in the party.
Early resignation and penalties
Upon reading an advance copy of the official document, Johnson resigned from Parliament. The official document was not released until last week. It has been asserted in its pages that the former prime minister lied when he asserted, on numerous occasions, that all confinement protocols had been followed in his offices during the pandemic.
As punishment, the summary of the investigation into his recommendations included the withdrawal of the card that gave him permanent access to Parliament. It also recommended that he be suspended from serving in the House of Commons for 90 days. Despite the reprimand, this does not prevent Johnson from running again to be part of the British legislature.
Johnson has been one of the most controversial prime ministers of recent decades. He served as Prime Minister from 2019 to September 2022.
Perhaps his return to the political corridors will not be as glamorous as he thought. In his last words in parliament, before leaving office, he promised to return with the words of a Hollywood blockbuster: “Hasta la vista, baby.”
With the Associated Press and Reuters
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