Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson knowingly misled the House of Commons in the inquiry regarding the Partygate scandal, the parliament's Privileges Committee said in its report published on Thursday.
The report determined that Johnson knew about the then-present measures against COVID-19 and that those rules were breached during several gatherings at 10 Downing Street. The committee found that the former prime minister misled the House on five accounts, including when he denied he had any knowledge of those gatherings, insisted the regulations were followed, and encouraged Cabinet Office Second Permanent Secretary Sue Grey's investigation into the matter while withholding information on it.
The committee noted that Johnson, if he were still a Member of the Parliament (MP), would have received a 90-day suspension for his misconduct. Given the circumstances, the agency recommended that he should not be given a former MP's pass, which would have entitled him to limited access to the House and its premises, including the restaurants.
