Scathing report finds Boris Johnson deliberately misled UK Parliament over ‘partygate’

LONDON (AP) — A committee of United Kingdom lawmakers harshly rebuked former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Thursday, saying he lied to Parliament about lockdown-flouting parties and was complicit in a campaign to intimidate those investigating his conduct during the coronavirus pandemic.

The House of Commons Privileges Committee found Johnson's actions were such a flagrant violation of the rules that they warranted a 90-day suspension from Parliament, where he still served after stepping down as prime minister last year.

The committee's sanction would have been more than enough to trigger a by-election that could have cost Johnson his seat in Parliament, but he avoided that ignominy by resigning last week after the committee gave him advance notice of its findings.

The release of the Commons committee's scathing 77-page report Thursday touched off an angry exchange of recriminations.

Johnson repeated his claim that the panel was a “kangaroo court” bent on ousting him from Parliament.

The committee said the defence he had provided was an after-the-fact justification and “no more than an artifice.”

The report and reaction to it highlight the battle over Johnson's legacy as Britain prepares for elections that could radically alter social and economic policy in a nation struggling to overcome a cost-of-living crisis and complaints about government services ranging from healthcare to law enforcement.

The Conservative Party, which has governed the UK since 2010, lags far behind the more liberal Labour Party in public opinion polls.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has desperately tried to shift attention away from Johnson since he took office in September, promising to cut inflation, control immigration and reduce government debt ahead of an election that must occur by December 2024.

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