Who are the privileges committee MPs who investigated whether Boris Johnson misled parliament over partygate?
Boris Johnson focused much of his wrath on the House of Commons privileges committee when resigning as an MP.
In his letter, Mr Johnson said the committee’s “purpose from the beginning has been to find me guilty, regardless of the fact”.
He added that this was “the very definition of a kangaroo court”.
In response, the committee said it had “followed the procedures and the mandate of the House at all times and will continue to do so.
“Mr Johnson has departed from the processes of the House and has impugned the integrity of the House by his statement.
“The committee will meet on Monday to conclude the inquiry and to publish its report promptly. “
What is the privileges committee?
The House of Commons privileges committee is a cross-party group of MPs which is there to “consider specific matters relating to privileges referred by the House”.
Privilege, in this instance, is the ability of MPs to speak freely in the House of Commons without the threat of legal prosecution – and the ability to self-regulate.
In this case, the committee is regulating whether Boris Johnson deliberately misled them – something which would equate to contempt of parliament.
It was once merged with the committee on standards – but they have since been split, with the standards body now including members who are not MPs.
The standards brief is more broad, and relates to matters of conduct.
Who is on the privileges committee?
It is made up of seven MPs – four Conservatives, two from Labour and one from the SNP.
The MPs are voted onto the committee by their colleagues and reflect the political make-up of the House.
Labour’s Sir Chris Bryant is normally the chair, but recused himself from this investigation as he had already made a number of public comments about partygate.
Instead, senior Labour backbencher and mother of the House Harriet Harman took his place.
The other members are Tories Andy Carter, Alberto Costa, Sir Bernard Jenkin and Sir Charles Walker, as well as Labour’s Yvonne Fovargue and the SNP’s Allan Dorans.
What are their powers?
Technically, the only powers the committee has is to issue a report for the Commons for MPs to consider.
In its findings, it can conclude that an individual has been found to have “committed a contempt” in misleading the House, and it can recommend sanctions – ranging from an oral or written apology through to suspension for a specified period or even expulsion from the Commons.
But it falls to MPs to decide whether to accept the findings of the report and to follow through with any sanction.
If MPs agree to a suspension of 10 sitting days or 14 calendar days upwards, it would have triggered a recall petition for Mr Johnson, allowing his constituents in Uxbridge and South Ruislip to vote on whether to hold a by-election for his seat.
This is now academic, after Mr Johnson announced he is standing down, but the House will still vote on the report.
What did Boris Johnson tell them?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
March: ‘I did not lie to the House’
Boris Johnson took part in a blockbuster evidence session before the privileges committee earlier this year.
He started, unconventionally, by swearing an oath on a bible to “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God”.
This meant the testimony was subject to the Perjury Act 1911 – so lying or providing a false account would be a criminal offence.
Not long afterwards, Mr Johnson told the committee that “hand on heart, I did not lie to the House.”
He said it was “absolutely essential for work purposes” to have a leaving “do” for some members of Number 10 staff who left during the pandemic.
At one point, he appeared to lose his temper while defending what happened in Number 10 during COVID.
Asked if he would have advised anyone else in the country at the time to hold a large-scale social gathering in the garden, he insisted it “was not a large social gathering, it was a gathering”.
“I really must insist this point, people who say that we were partying in lockdown simply do not know what they are talking about,” he said.
Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts
One of his main defences was that he received assurances from senior members of staff that the events were not breaking the rules.
The former MP also attacked the committee – saying their actions were “manifestly unfair”.
When I got to Chequers on Sunday, the prime minister had clearly been up for most of the night and hitting the phones all morning with calls to fellow leaders in Europe and the Middle East, as he and others scrambled to try to contain a very dangerous situation.
His primary message was to try to reassure the public that the UK government was working to stabilise the region as best it could and press for a return to diplomacy.
But what struck me in our short interview was not what he did say but what he didn’t – what he couldn’t – say about the US strikes.
It was clear from his swerve on the question of whether the UK supported the strikes that the prime minister neither wanted to endorse US strikes nor overtly criticise President Donald Trump.
Follow latest: Trump hails ‘bullseye’ strikes on Iran
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Starmer reacts to US strikes on Iran
Instead, his was a form of words – repeated later in a joint statement of the E3 (the UK, Germany and France) – to acknowledge the US strikes and reiterate where they can agree: the need to prevent Iran having a nuclear weapon.
He also didn’t want to engage in the very obvious observation that President Trump simply isn’t listening to Sir Keir Starmer or other allies, who had been very publicly pressing for de-escalation all week, from the G7 summit in Canada to this weekend as European countries convened talks in Geneva with Iran.
Donald Trump and Sir Keir Starmer at the G7 in Canada last week. Pic: Reuters
It was only five days ago that the prime minister told me he didn’t think a US attack was imminent, when I asked him what was going on following President Trump’s abrupt decision to quit the G7 early and convene his security council at the White House.
When I asked him if he felt foolish or frustrated that Trump had done that and didn’t seem to be listening, he told me it was a “fast moving situation” with a “huge amount of discussions in the days since the G7” and said he was intensely pressing his consistent position of de-escalation.
What else really could he say? He has calculated that criticising Trump goes against UK interests and has no other option but to press for a diplomatic solution and work with other leaders to achieve that aim.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
What is Operation ‘Midnight Hammer’?
Before these strikes, Tehran was clear it would not enter negotiations until Israel stopped firing missiles into Iran – something Israel is still saying it is not prepared to do.
The US has been briefing that one of the reasons it took action was because it did not think the Iranians were taking the talks convened by the Europeans in Geneva seriously enough.
It is hard now to see how these strikes will not serve but to deepen the conflict in the Middle East and the mood in government is bleak.
Iran will probably conclude that continuing to strike only Israel in light of the US attacks – the first airstrikes ever by the US on Iran – is a response that will make the regime seem weak.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
What next after US-Iran strikes?
Read more:
Iran may not have lost its ability to make a nuclear bomb
Analysis: Iran may decide killing Americans is best way to retaliate
But escalation could draw the UK into a wider conflict it does not want. If Iran struck US assets, it could trigger Article 5 of NATO (an attack on one is an attack on all) and draw the UK into military action.
If Iran chose to attack the US via proxies, then UK bases and assets could be under threat.
The prime minister was at pains to stress on Sunday that the UK had not been involved in these strikes.
Meanwhile, the UK-controlled airbase on Diego Garcia was not used to launch the US attacks.
There was no request to use the Diego Garcia base, the president moving unilaterally, underlining his disinterest in what the UK has to say.
The world is waiting nervously to see how Iran might respond, as the PM moves more military assets to the region while simultaneously hitting the phones.
The prime minister may be deeply opposed to this war, but stopping it is not in his gift.
UK
GPs can prescribe weight loss jabs on the NHS from today – but strict eligibility criteria in place
GPs will be able to prescribe weight loss jabs on the NHS from today.
About 220,000 people with the “greatest need” are set to receive Mounjaro – with strict criteria for the first year of the rollout.
Initially, only those with a body mass index of over 40 who have at least four other health problems linked to obesity will be eligible.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Can you get pregnant when on weight loss drugs?
Some doctors have raised concerns about the additional workload this new programme will bring, while pharmacists fear it could lead to supply shortages.
While an estimated 1.5 million people are now taking weight loss drugs across the UK, they could previously only be accessed through specialist services or private prescriptions.
Dr Claire Fuller from NHS England said: “We urgently need to address rising levels of obesity and prioritise support for those who are experiencing severe ill health – and greater access to weight loss drugs will make a significant difference to the lives of those people.”
She added: “While not everyone will be eligible for weight loss drugs, it’s important that anyone who is worried about the impact of their weight on their health discusses the range of NHS support available with their healthcare professional.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Weight loss drugs ‘changing way we see obesity’
The chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs welcomed NHS England’s decision to pursue a phased rollout, and said current workloads must be factored in to ensure the jabs can be prescribed safely.
Professor Kamila Hawthorne went on to say: “While weight loss medications have a lot of potential benefits for patients who are struggling to lose weight and who meet all the clinical criteria for a prescription, they mustn’t be seen as a ‘silver bullet’ to aid weight loss.
“We also need to see a focus on prevention, stopping people becoming overweight in the first place so they don’t require a medical intervention later.”
Read more from Sky News:
UK and NATO allies to boost defence spending
Analysis: Will Russia and China back Iran?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
‘How I tried to get weight loss drugs’
Her remarks were echoed by the National Pharmacy Association’s chairman Olivier Picard, who says “prescribing these medications alone misses the point”.
He argued that they need to be part of a comprehensive strategy that includes lifestyle coaching, exercise and nutritional guidance – but many GPs currently “lack the bandwidth” to provide this support.
“As a result, we could end up in a situation where patients are prescribed the medication, lose weight, and then experience rebound weight gain once the course ends – simply because the foundational lifestyle changes weren’t addressed,” Mr Picard added.
Estimates suggest about 29% of the adult population is obese.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting says the government “is determined to bring revolutionary modern treatments to everyone who needs them, not just those who can afford to pay”.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike