Boris Johnson has tonight introduced his resignation as an MP with rapid impact.
The transfer, which comes after he obtained a letter from the committee investigating ‘partygate’, triggers a by-election in his seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
It additionally follows the resignation earlier right this moment of Nadine Dorries from her Mid-Bedfordshire seat.
Right here is the previous prime minister’s resignation assertion in full:
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I’ve obtained a letter from the Privileges Committee making it clear – a lot to my amazement – that they’re decided to make use of the proceedings towards me to drive me out of Parliament.
They’ve nonetheless not produced a shred of proof that I knowingly or recklessly misled the Commons.
They know completely effectively that once I spoke within the Commons, I used to be saying what I believed sincerely to be true and what I had been briefed to say, like some other minister. They know that I corrected the document as quickly as potential; they usually know that I and each different senior official and minister – together with the present Prime Minister after which occupant of the identical constructing, Rishi Sunak – believed that we had been working lawfully collectively.
I’ve been an MP since 2001. I take my tasks severely. I didn’t lie, and I consider that of their hearts, the Committee realize it. However they’ve wilfully chosen to disregard the reality, as a result of from the outset, their goal has not been to find the reality, or genuinely to grasp what was in my thoughts once I spoke within the Commons.
Their goal from the start has been to search out me responsible, whatever the information. That is the very definition of a kangaroo court docket.
Most members of the Committee – particularly the chair – had already expressed deeply prejudicial remarks about my guilt earlier than that they had even seen the proof. They need to have recused themselves.
On reflection, it was naïve and trusting of me to suppose that these proceedings may very well be remotely helpful or truthful. However I used to be decided to consider within the system, and in justice, and to vindicate what I knew to be the reality.
It was the identical religion within the impartiality of our techniques that led me to fee Sue Grey. It’s clear that my religion has been misplaced. After all, it fits the Labour Social gathering, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP to do no matter they’ll to take away me from Parliament.
Sadly, as we noticed in July final 12 months, there are presently some Tory MPs who share that view. I’m not alone in considering that there’s a witch hunt underneath method, to take revenge for Brexit and finally to reverse the 2016 referendum consequence.
My removing is the required first step, and I consider there was a concerted try and convey it about. I’m afraid I not consider that it’s any coincidence that Sue Grey – who investigated gatherings in Quantity 10 – is now the chief of workers designate of the Labour chief.
Nor do I consider that it’s any coincidence that her supposedly neutral chief counsel, Daniel Stilitz KC, turned out to be a robust Labour supporter who repeatedly tweeted private assaults on me and the federal government.
After I left workplace final 12 months, the federal government was solely a handful of factors behind within the polls. That hole has now massively widened.
Just some years after profitable the most important majority in virtually half a century, that majority is now clearly in danger.
Our celebration wants urgently to recapture its sense of momentum and its perception in what this nation can do.
We have to present how we’re taking advantage of Brexit and we’d like within the subsequent months to be setting out a pro-growth and pro-investment agenda. We have to reduce enterprise and private taxes – and never simply as pre-election gimmicks – relatively than endlessly placing them up.
We should not be afraid to be a correctly Conservative authorities.
Why have we so passively deserted the prospect of a Free Commerce Cope with the US? Why have we junked measures to assist individuals into housing or to scrap EU directives or to advertise animal welfare?
We have to ship on the 2019 manifesto, which was endorsed by 14 million individuals. We should always keep in mind that greater than 17 million voted for Brexit.
I’m now being compelled out of Parliament by a tiny handful of individuals, with no proof to again up their assertions, and with out the approval even of Conservative celebration members, not to mention the broader voters.
I consider {that a} harmful and unsettling precedent is being set.
The Conservative Social gathering has the time to get better its mojo and its ambition and to win the following election. I had appeared ahead to offering enthusiastic assist as a backbench MP. Harriet Harman’s committee has got down to make that goal utterly untenable.
The Committee’s report is riddled with inaccuracies and reeks of prejudice, however underneath their absurd and unjust course of, I’ve no formal capability to problem something they are saying.
The Privileges Committee is there to guard the privileges of Parliament. That may be a crucial job. They shouldn’t be utilizing their powers – which have solely been very just lately designed – to mount what’s plainly a political hit job on somebody they oppose.
It’s in nobody’s curiosity, nonetheless, that the method the Committee has launched ought to proceed for a single day additional.
So I’ve right this moment written to my Affiliation in Uxbridge and South Ruislip to say that I’m stepping down forthwith and triggering an instantaneous by-election.
I’m very sorry to go away my great constituency. It has been an enormous honour to serve them, each as Mayor and MP.
However I’m proud that after what’s cumulatively a 15-year stint, I’ve helped to ship, amongst different issues, an enormous new railway within the Elizabeth Line and full funding for an exquisite new cutting-edge hospital for Hillingdon, the place enabling works have already begun.
I additionally stay massively happy with all that we achieved in my time in workplace as prime minister: getting Brexit accomplished, profitable the most important majority for 40 years and delivering the quickest vaccine roll out of any main European nation, in addition to main international assist for Ukraine.
It is vitally unhappy to be leaving Parliament – at the least for now – however above all, I’m bewildered and appalled that I will be compelled out, anti-democratically, by a committee chaired and managed, by Harriet Harman, with such egregious bias.
