MPs sanction Boris Johnson as majority vote to endorse partygate report

MPs have approved the Privileges Committee report into the conduct of former prime minister Boris Johnson by 354 votes to seven, majority 347.

The House of Commons held a vote on on Monday to decide whether to implement recommendations made by the Privileges Committee.

The explosive report, which was published in its entirety on Thursday, found the former Conservative leader deliberately misled parliament on five occasions.

It recommended he be suspended for 90 days if he was still a sitting MP, and that he not be given a former members’ pass, which gives him limited access to parliament.

After several hours of debate on Mr Johnson’s conduct, Labour forced a vote on the motion, with the Opposition providing tellers for both the ayes and noes.

The division list showed 118 Conservative MPs voted in favour of the Privileges Committee report, while no votes were recorded for 225 MPs.

Conservative MPs who opposed the Privileges Committee report were: Sir Bill Cash, Nick Fletcher, Adam Holloway, Karl McCartney, Joy Morrissey and Heather Wheeler.

There have been ongoing issues with names being recorded on the division lists, with other votes seeing the Commons authorities issuing updates later on.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stayed away from the vote, insisting he did not want to “influence” how MPs might vote.

It comes days after a new video emerged appearing to show Conservative Party staff dancing and joking about Covid restrictions at the height of the pandemic.

The footage, obtained by the Mirror, shows the workers at a 2020 Christmas party at the Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) in Westminster.

Johnson quit the Commons last week after reading the report’s findings, meaning he will escape the immediate prospect of a sanction.

In his resignation, he hit out at what he called a “deranged conclusion”, accusing the Conservative-majority group of MPs he has repeatedly sought to disparage of lying.

The former PM called the committee led by Labour veteran Harriet Harman “beneath contempt” and claimed its 14-month investigation had delivered “what is intended to be the final knife-thrust in a protracted political assassination”.