© UK Parliament / Jessica Taylor
- Chris Bryant has recused himself from any investigation into whether Boris Johnson misled Parliament.
- MPs will vote Thursday over whether to refer the matter to the privileges committee, which Bryant chairs.
- The committee has the power to sanction Johnson if he is found to have breached the ministerial code.
Prominent Labour MP Chris Bryant has recused himself from any potential investigation into whether Boris Johnson misled Parliament over partygate, to avoid any suggestion that it could become a partisan affair.
MPs will decide on Thursday whether the Commons’ privileges committee should carry out a probe into the Prime Minister’s actions, handing MPs the power to compel the release of reports, documents and photos.
Should the committee be granted the right to investigate, it could “recommend an individual be found in contempt, and sanctions can include a range of measures,” including suspension or expulsion.
Given the Conservatives’ mammoth majority, the motion is not expected to pass. However some Tory backbenchers have told Insider they may abstain, meaning Johnson — who will be out of the country on a visit to India — is not out of the woods.
Pre-empting the vote Bryant, the committee’s chairman and a senior Labour MP, published a letter to colleagues saying he would not take part.
—Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) April 20, 2022
He said: “I would do everything in my power to ensure our inquiry was fair, consensual and evidence-based. I hope I have shown that scrupulousness in other proceedings of the Standards Committee, including one inquiry concerning the prime minister, when the Committee disagreed with the Commissioner.
“However, it is also important that the House be seen to proceed fairly without any imputation of unfairness and that the whole House have confidence in the Committee of Privileges’ proceedings. I have therefore decided that if the motion to refer is carried tomorrow I will recuse myself from any consideration of the matter, just as Sir Bernard Jenkin recused himself from the Standards Committee inquiry on Owen Paterson.
“I will still chair the Committee of Privileges and the Committee on Standards for all our other business, but it will be for the rest of the Committee to decide who should chair proceedings on this inquiry and how it should proceed.”
Bryant has been outspoken in his criticism of the Prime Minister’s conduct throughout the affair, having recently described him as a “proven liar”.
—Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) April 12, 2022
He has also said Johnson “broke the law, repeatedly lied to parliament and refused to correct the record”, which he described as “a threefold breach of the ministerial code.”
—Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) April 13, 2022
On Tuesday, the first day back after receiving a fine during the Easter recess, Johnson gave an statement in which he apologised “unreservedly” to MPs, but insisted it was a mistake.
During the two-hour session, which also acted as an update on Ukraine, Bryant quizzed the Prime Minister about Russia, having previously said he would not be commenting on the possible probe.
—Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) April 19, 2022
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