Scathing report finds Boris Johnson deliberately misled U.K. Parliament over lockdown parties
LA TimesA committee of lawmakers has harshly rebuked former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, saying he lied to Parliament about lockdown-flouting parties. A committee of lawmakers harshly rebuked former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday, saying he lied to Parliament about lockdown-flouting parties and was complicit in a campaign to intimidate those investigating his conduct. Release of the committee’s scathing 77-page report touched off an angry exchange of recriminations, with Johnson repeating his claims that the panel was a “kangaroo court” bent on ousting him from Parliament and the committee saying his defense was an after-the-fact justification that was “no more than an artifice.” The report and reaction to it highlight the battle over Johnson’s legacy as Britain prepares for elections that could radically alter social and economic policy in a nation struggling to overcome a cost-of-living crisis and complaints about government services, including healthcare and law enforcement. Attention will remain on Johnson for now because the full House of Commons must debate the committee’s report, providing another opportunity for the former prime minister’s backers and detractors to do battle. Sunak was Johnson’s treasury secretary during the pandemic and among dozens of people issued with fines for a series of office parties and “wine time Fridays” in 2020 and 2021 across government buildings.