Boris Johnson is ‘finished’, says senior Tory after Partygate hearing

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Boris Johnson’s attempt at a political comeback is “finished”, according to senior Tory figure after his torrid grilling by MPs at the televised Partygate inquiry hearing.

The former prime minister is struggling to revive his political career after the cross-party committee investigating his Partygate denials denounced the “flimsy” assurances they were based on.

Ex-cabinet minister Caroline Nokes said Mr Johnson’s unlikely comeback hopes were “finished”, as the committee suggested he had failed to correctly interpret his own Covid guidance or seek proper advice.

Asked if Mr Johnson is finished if he is punished by the privileges committee for misleading the Commons, Ms Nokes told ITV’s Peston: “I think that Boris Johnson is finished anyway.”

“I think there was a very clear message from his own ministers back in the summer that they didn’t want him to carry on,” said the equalities select committee chair.

She added: “He didn’t choose to stand against Rishi Sunak back in the autumn when we had the second leadership challenge. As far as I’m concerned, Boris Johnson is not coming back as prime minister.”

In a short-tempered testimony lasting more than three hours, Mr Johnson insisted there was not a “shred of evidence” to show he lied to MPs and said it have been “utterly insane” for him to have done so.

But senior Tory Sir Bernard Jenkin questioned why Mr Johnson failed to take “proper advice” on Covid guidance before claiming in parliament it had been followed “completely”.

And it emerged the then-PM had been warned against making his infamous remarks in the Commons by his principle private secretary Martin Reynolds.

If a suspension of at least 10 days is voted through by MPs, a by-election in Mr Johnson’s seat could be triggered, potentially spelling the end of his parliamentary career.

But many Tory MPs believe the committee may stop short of a 10-day suspension as punishment – even though they expect him to be found guilty of “recklessly” misleading the Commons.

Jacob Rees-Mogg – one of the few voices in a dwindling band of loyalists who still support Mr Johnson – claimed his old boss had “won” public support with his defences – despite them being met with exasperation by the cross-party panel of MPs.

The senior Tory MP told Channel 4 News: “Boris Johnson today has won in the court of public opinion.”

He added: “I think that if Boris Johnson went to a by-election he would win it comfortably. Because I think he’s winning in the court of public opinion, who see this as a kangaroo court.”

The former Brexit minister said the Johnson evidence was “very convincing” and claimed it was “perfectly reasonable” for the ex-PM to think No 10 leaving dos were in the remit of Covid regulations.

Mr Rees-Mogg’s remarkable claim about the “court of public opinion” comes as the latest YouGov poll shows 72 per cent of the public think Mr Johnson is dishonest (while only 13 per cent believe he is honest).

Mr Johnson also indicated he may refuse to accept the inquiry’s verdict if it finds he committed a contempt of parliament by deliberately misleading the Commons – saying he would “wait to see”.

The remark was echoed by Conservative chairman Greg Hands when asked if the committee was being fair to Mr Johnson. “We’ll have to wait and see,” he told Peston. “I think it’s impossible to judge that until we see the report.”

Offering his verdict on Thursday’s hearing, Will Walden, Mr Johnson’s former communication chief, said: “He’ll be wanting to tell himself it’s all alright – but I don’t think it is, really. It was a bit of mess. He was churlish, frustrated, disbelieving, stroppy, shameless.”

Mr Walden added: “A man with an elastic relationship with the truth, swearing on a bible to tell the truth about whether in the past he told the truth or not – I mean you literally couldn’t make it up.”

Labour MP Chris Bryant, who recused himself from leading the inquiry, said: “I got the impression [Mr Johnson] knows perfectly well the rules weren’t followed.”

“He’s always known the rule weren’t perfectly – and he’s always sort of tried to cover it up … His mind is very, very muddled. I think he knows deep in his heart he’s got this wrong from the very beginning but he can’t own up to it.”

Source: independent.co.uk