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LONDON (Reuters) – Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson abruptly resigned from his seat in Parliament on Friday, in another dramatic development in the career of one of the country’s most brilliant and divisive politicians.
Johnson He was under investigation by a House of Commons committee looking into whether he had lied to her Parliament During lockdown break parties in Downing Street during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Friday, after he received a confidential copy of his findings, he accused the committee of trying to expel him, adding: “They have so far produced no evidence that I have knowingly or recklessly misled the House of Commons.”
The committee had the power to recommend a penalty that would have resulted in Johnson being forced to contest an election to hold his constituency outside London – a contest which he may have lost.
Instead, the former prime minister preempted this possibility by resigning. His decision means there will now be a by-election in the constituency, but he says he will not contest it.
Johnson made little secret of his ambition to regain the position of prime minister, and a seat in Parliament was a prerequisite for doing so. But it remained unclear whether this was a permanent departure from the House of Commons for Johnson, who had previously resigned a seat to become mayor of London, then returned to represent a different constituency.
Johnson was forced to step down as prime minister last July, but he has continued to cast a shadow over British politics in the past year, placing himself at the center of controversies over his handling of the pandemic and the accounts he gave Parliament about which parties were held. Downing Street during lockdown.
While the contents of the committee’s report were not clear, Johnson’s decision indicated that it recommended a suspension of more than 10 days, which could lead to an automatic election for his seat.
Appearing before the Parliamentary Committee in March, he admitted that he made misleading statements in Parliament when he assured lawmakers that there was no breach of the lockdown rules. He said he took full responsibility for the Downing Street meetings. “That was a mistake,” he said at the time, “and I’m terribly sorry.”
In a statement on Friday, Johnson went further. “I’m not alone in thinking a witch hunt is on for revenge Britain’s exit from the European Union Ultimately reversing the result of the 2016 referendum, he wrote. “My dismissal is the necessary first step, and I believe there has been a concerted attempt to achieve this.”
The unexpected announcement could signal the end of the career of a politician known for breaking rules and ignoring norms. But it can also just be a turn-on in a career marked by frequent ups and downs.
Johnson He was under investigation by a House of Commons committee looking into whether he had lied to her Parliament During lockdown break parties in Downing Street during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Friday, after he received a confidential copy of his findings, he accused the committee of trying to expel him, adding: “They have so far produced no evidence that I have knowingly or recklessly misled the House of Commons.”
The committee had the power to recommend a penalty that would have resulted in Johnson being forced to contest an election to hold his constituency outside London – a contest which he may have lost.
Instead, the former prime minister preempted this possibility by resigning. His decision means there will now be a by-election in the constituency, but he says he will not contest it.
Johnson made little secret of his ambition to regain the position of prime minister, and a seat in Parliament was a prerequisite for doing so. But it remained unclear whether this was a permanent departure from the House of Commons for Johnson, who had previously resigned a seat to become mayor of London, then returned to represent a different constituency.
Johnson was forced to step down as prime minister last July, but he has continued to cast a shadow over British politics in the past year, placing himself at the center of controversies over his handling of the pandemic and the accounts he gave Parliament about which parties were held. Downing Street during lockdown.
While the contents of the committee’s report were not clear, Johnson’s decision indicated that it recommended a suspension of more than 10 days, which could lead to an automatic election for his seat.
Appearing before the Parliamentary Committee in March, he admitted that he made misleading statements in Parliament when he assured lawmakers that there was no breach of the lockdown rules. He said he took full responsibility for the Downing Street meetings. “That was a mistake,” he said at the time, “and I’m terribly sorry.”
In a statement on Friday, Johnson went further. “I’m not alone in thinking a witch hunt is on for revenge Britain’s exit from the European Union Ultimately reversing the result of the 2016 referendum, he wrote. “My dismissal is the necessary first step, and I believe there has been a concerted attempt to achieve this.”
The unexpected announcement could signal the end of the career of a politician known for breaking rules and ignoring norms. But it can also just be a turn-on in a career marked by frequent ups and downs.
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