Penny Mordaunt defends Partygate investigators over Boris Johnson probe

MPs have been told not to interfere with colleagues investigating Boris Johnson, ahead of a decision on whether to suspend the former prime minister from the House of Commons.

The Privileges Committee, which is considering whether Mr Johnson knowingly misled Parliament with claims he was unaware of Covid-rule-breaking on Downing Street, could issue a punishment that sees him lose his seat.

Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt warned MPs, peers and others against trying to prevent the investigation into the ex-prime minister from taking place.

Asked about reported attempts to influence or intimidate the committee, Ms Mordaunt emphasised that MPs on the Privileges Committee "are doing this House a service".

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She added: "They need to be permitted to get on with their work without fear or favour and I would also remind members in this House that this House asked them to do this work.

Mr Johnson will be questioned by the Committee in a televised grilling next Wednesday - he's already denied wrongdoing and predicted he will be cleared.

But if the cross-party group of MPs decides he did knowingly mislead Parliament, he could be suspended from the Commons for ten days, which would allow his constituents to trigger a by-election he could lose.

It will only take 10% of his local constituents to sign a recall petition - a number Labour could easily drum up - in order for a by-election to take place and opposition parties will be optimistic they could overturn his 7,210 majority.

Mr Johnson, who was fined by police for flouting coronavirus rules, repeatedly insisted to Parliament that he was unaware of any rule-breaking in his government.

It was eventually proven that laws were broken on numerous occasions, with police issuing dozens of coronavirus fines - but it is Mr Johnson's claim he was unaware of the rule breaking that is in question.

In a preliminary report - which included new photos of Mr Johnson potentially breaking Covid regulations - the Committee said it would have been “obvious” to him that Covid rules were being broken in Downing Street.

“The evidence strongly suggests that breaches of guidance would have been obvious to Mr Johnson at the time he was at the gatherings,” it reads.

But the former PM gave an interview following the report's publication, denying it had any evidence to suggest he was aware laws were being broken and says he expects to be cleared.

Mr Johnson said: “It is clear from this report that I have not committed any contempt of Parliament."

He said the Committee had found "no evidence in the report that I knowingly or recklessly misled Parliament".

Many of Mr Johnson's allies in the House of Commons have questioned the integrity of the investigation, given it uses some evidence uncovered by Sue Gray, a civil servant who previously investigated him before being approached by Labour to be its chief of staff.

The Committee, chaired by Labour grandee Harriet Harman but with a Conservative majority of four of its seven MPs, denied its inquiry is based on the Gray report.

But MPs including Jacob Rees-Mogg and Nadine Dorries have claimed the Privileges Committee investigation is a "stitch up" it used Ms Gray's evidence, however Labour has insisted her work on the Partygate inquiry was complete well before it offered her a job.

Last week Rishi Sunak told ITV News he would not try to exert influence over Tory MPs on the committee not to impose a large punishment.

"That wouldn't be right," Rishi Sunak said during a visit to San Diego, "this is a matter for Parliament, for the House. It's not right for the government to get involved."

Ms Mordaunt reminded MPs that they "asked [the Committee] to do this work and to do it well, and they should be left to get on with this.

"That is the will of this House and I think a very dim view will be taken of either any member who tries to prevent them from carrying out this serious work or anyone from outside this House that interferes."

Hinting at potential for interference by members of the House of Lords, the Commons Leader added: "On a personal level, an even dimmer view will be taken of anyone from the other place (the Lords) who attempts to do similar."

Conservative MP Simon Hoare (North Dorset) had earlier raised concerns about interference with the committee's work.

The chairman of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee told MPs: "As chairman of a committee of this House, I know, and I hope that she does, the important, independent and cross-party work that all committees of this House do on behalf of the House, including the Privileges Committee.

"She will know there has been speculation about its current investigation which was approved, she will remember, without amendment or division in this House.

"Does she agree that members of the committee are doing the House a service, that they should be free and unfettered to get on with their work, and free of interference or intimidation?"