Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson withdraws as MP | World news
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is stepping down as a member of parliament with immediate effect, triggering a by-election in his flat seat.
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Johnson is fighting for his political future with a parliamentary inquiry investigating whether he misled the House of Commons when he said all COVID-19 laws were being followed.
“It is very sad to be leaving parliament – at least for now,” Johnson said in a statement. “A few people forced me out, without evidence to support their claims, and without the approval even of conservative members to make the electorate wider.”
The parliamentary privileges committee could have recommended that Johnson be suspended from the parliament for more than 10 days if they found that he opened the parliament recklessly or deliberately, which could cause a vote for his seat.
The former prime minister said that he had received a letter from “the council of interests that made it clear – much to my surprise – that they intend to use tactics against me to expel me from parliament” .
Johnson, whose prime ministership was cut short in part by anger in his own party and across Britain over the COVID-19 lockdown measures in his Downing Street office and residence, accused the committee of being “the very definition of a kangaroo court”. .
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“Most of the members of the Commission – especially the chairman – have already made deeply hateful comments about my family before they have seen the evidence,” he said.
“In retrospect it was naive and naive of me to think that these principles could be remotely valid or fair.”
