Boris Johnson resigns from UK parliament over 'witch hunt'

In this photo made available by UK Parliament, Boris Johnson gives evidence to the Privileges Committee at the House of Commons, London, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. (House of Commons/UK Parliament via AP)

Britain's former prime minister Boris Johnson has angrily quit as a member of parliament, claiming he had been forced out in a stitch-up by his political opponents.

The 58-year-old populist politician has been under investigation by a cross-party committee about whether he repeatedly lied to parliament over Covid lockdown-breaking parties when he was in office.

In evidence earlier this year, he angrily insisted he had not. But as the committee prepares to make public its findings, he said they had contacted him "making it clear... they are determined to use the proceedings against me to drive me out of parliament".

Johnson, though, pre-empted any finding — or the consequences of a humiliating fight to remain an MP in his Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency in northwest London where he holds a slim majority of just over 7,000 — by quitting. He denounced the committee, chaired by veteran opposition Labour MP Harriet Harman, as a "kangaroo court".

"It is very sad to be leaving Parliament — at least for now — but above all, I am bewildered and appalled that I can be forced out, anti-democratically... with such egregious bias," he said.

The committee's report, which has not been published, was "riddled with inaccuracies and reeks of prejudice", he said, complaining he had "no formal ability to challenge anything they say".

Their "purpose from the beginning has been to find me guilty, regardless of the facts", he added.

Responding to the resignation, the Privileges Committee said Johnson "impugned the integrity of the House by his statement".

The committee said it would meet on Monday to conclude its inquiry and would publish its report "promptly".

Sunak attack

Johnson quit as prime minister and left office in September last year, although rumours persisted that he wanted another shot at the top job.

Rishi Sunak, who was one of Johnson's top team who quit, has been trying to steady the ship since becoming prime minister in October last year, after the turbulent tenure of his former boss and the short-lived premier Liz Truss.

Johnson's resignation will likely be seen as his revenge on Sunak, whose Tories are well down in the polls to the main opposition Labour Party after 13 years in power and with a general election looming next year.

"When I left office last year, the government was only a handful of points behind in the polls. That gap has now massively widened," said Johnson in his letter lashing out at Sunak."

Just a few years after winning the biggest majority in almost half a century, that majority is now clearly at risk.

"Our party needs urgently to recapture its sense of momentum and its belief in what this country can do."

'Enough is enough'

Johnson's supporters rallied behind him, lauding his achievements on Brexit, and galvanising support for Ukraine.

Angela Rayner, deputy leader of the opposition Labour Party, responded to Johnson's resignation with: “Enough is enough.”

“The British public are sick to the back teeth of this never-ending Tory soap opera played out at their expense," she said.

Her opposite number with the smaller Liberal Democrats, Daisy Cooper, said it was "good riddance" while the Scottish National Party's deputy UK parliament leader Mhairi Black, said Johnson "jumped before he was pushed".

Johnson, who was sacked from his first job at The Times newspaper for making up a quote, made his name as Brussels correspondent of the Daily Telegraph peddling euromyths.

He first became an MP in 2001 until 2008, then quit to serve two four-year terms as London's mayor.

He became an MP again in 2015, becoming foreign secretary under Theresa May.

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Source: TRT