Starmer says Johnson should be banned from parliament over partygate

Sir Keir Starmer has said Boris Johnson should be banned from parliament over the partygate scandal, as he urged the prime minister not to “hide away” from a debate on the issue later today.

The Labour leader said it’s “important to know” where Rishi Sunak stands after the Commons’ Privileges Committee concluded Mr Johnson lied to MPs about the boozy events held in Downing Street during lockdown.

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Asked if the former prime minister should be banned from parliament Sir Keir told Sky News: “The privileges committee is absolutely clear in its findings, they should be supported.

“I will support the committee, and I want the prime minister to support the committee, because it’s very important we know where the prime minister stands on this.”

In a damning verdict, the cross-party panel said Mr Johnson should have faced a 90-day suspension for misleading the House and being complicit in a campaign of intimidation against them.

MPs will debate the recommendations of the committee later today, which include banning Mr Johnson, who has quit as an MP, from receiving the pass to access parliament which is usually available to former politicians.

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It is not clear whether there ultimately will be a vote on the conclusions of the report, which could go through on the nod unless there are objections from Mr Johnson’s supporters.

In a challenge to Mr Sunak Sir Keir said: “Is he going to come into parliament and vote today and show leadership, or is he going to sit on his hands and hide away?

“I think that is now becoming the crucial issue that will define how things go today in parliament on this.”

Earlier this morning, Mr Sunak refused to say if he will attend the debate amid speculation he is planning to skip it.

He would not give his view on the proceedings against his predecessor, saying the vote is “a matter for the House rather than for government”.

It comes amid reignited anger over the Downing Street parties scandal following a newly published video showing Conservative Party workers at a Christmas bash during lockdown in 2020.

Two of the people in the leaked footage received honours from Mr Johnson, which Sir Keir said was “hard to stomach”.

He said he is unaware of any precedent to remove their new titles, and Mr Sunak should have waited until the outcome of the privileges investigation before approving the nominations from the former prime minister.

Sir Keir said: “Rishi Sunak should have simply said no when he was handed that list. He should have said the privileges committee is still coming to its findings and I’m not going to pass through any of these orders until I know the outcome.

“The idea now that two of the people dancing and partying in that video, are going to get honours because the prime minister was too weak to do anything about it, I think is yet another thing that’s very, very hard for people to stomach.”

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