The inquiry by the House of Commons Standards and Privileges Committee into whether or not Johnson misled MPs over partygate begins today with ‘allies’ of the prime minister suggesting it’s a “kangaroo court.” This is in The Telegraph this morning. There will now be a long campaign through the summer to play down a guilty verdict by rubbishing the committee itself, the witnesses and the temporary chair, Harriet Hartman. The committee has to be chaired by an opposition MP. This is written in the rules since it would otherwise look like the ruling party was investigating its own.
The usual chair Chris Bryant recused himself because of earlier comments and they had to find another Labour MP who hadn’t already condemned Johnson somewhere over charges he misled parliament. You can imagine that would be quite a job.
Anyway they settled on 71 year old Hartman but The Telegraph has trawled through her social media accounts and report:,
"The Telegraph disclosed this month how Ms Harman, 71, the Labour MP for Camberwell and Peckham, had in social media messages suggested that Mr Johnson had misled MPs over the illegal parties."
The article where the Telegraph 'disclosed' her social media message is HERE. And it's true she has commented but mostly in asking questions rather that declaring the prime minister lied or in commenting on the tweets of others.
The Telegraph say that by "questioning the integrity of the investigation" it means it is likely that Downing Street will challenge any negative findings made by the committee and raises the prospect that Johnson will refuse to resign even if he is found to have misled Parliament.
Downing Street is said to already be pressing the committee to allow Mr Johnson to question witnesses, to take legal advice and be heard in person when hearings get under way this autumn.
The committee is being advised by Sir Ernest Ryder, a former High Court judge, whose report into the way MPs are policed was published in March. He recommended that MPs under investigation should be given "the opportunity to take legal advice and have legal assistance (as distinct from legal representation) throughout the process".
He also said they should also be "given the opportunity to comment on the evidence that is relevant and to identify other relevant evidence or witnesses", he added, as well as "the opportunity to comment on the draft memorandum before it is submitted to the committee".
MPs should also be given the "opportunity to be heard in person by the committee, the opportunity to suggest questions that may be asked of other witnesses (orally or on paper), in particular in the circumstance where facts are not agreed and credibility and/or reliability may be in issue", and in addition, Sir Ernest argued that MPs should be given "the opportunity to attend all meetings of the committee at which evidence is given and to receive transcripts of evidence
He is being given every chance to argue his own case. But....
Let us be plain. He misled Parliament.
Of that there is not the slightest doubt, and not just once but on multiple occasions. We all know it. He should have resigned himself in January. Any other PM with an ounce of integrity or shame would have done so. The inquiry is simply a formality - or should be. However, things have become so partisan - following Washington’s lead - that the outcome is going to be challenged at every turn.
Miss Harman's spotless reputation is going to be trashed in order to save Johnson, a man who's reputation has been sullied and stained for fifty years. Everyone is in danger of going under the bus.
The committee has seven members, four of them Tory. They are Alberto Costa, Andy Carter, Laura Farris and Sir Bernard Jenkin (no S). Jenkin is the only one I really know. Costa I have seen a few times and he seems a Johnson loyalist, but the others I have never heard of. The ruling party has a built in majority so it can hardly be a kangaroo court - unless Johnson is a kangaroo.
In any case, trying to find a Labour MP who hasn't at one point or another said something about Johnson and partygate is I would have thought an impossibility.
The regular chair, Chris Bryant tweeted:
The damage Johnson is doing to British institutions and public life, particularly trust in politicians, is absolutely incalculable. Nothing and nobody is safe. His own MPs, opposition MPs, select committee chairs, advisers, senior (and junior) civil servants, judges, the legal profession, standards bodies and everyone and everything is at risk either from him or his acolytes in the press while he remains in Downing Street.
He must go.
