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| Boris Johnson: What is the Privileges Committee and who are its members? | Boris Johnson: What is the Privileges Committee and who are its members? |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A report from MPs about whether Boris Johnson misled Parliament over parties at 10 Downing Street is expected to be published on Wednesday. | A report from MPs about whether Boris Johnson misled Parliament over parties at 10 Downing Street is expected to be published on Wednesday. |
| Boris Johnson stood down as an MP ahead of the Privileges Committee's report, claiming he was "forced out of Parliament". | Boris Johnson stood down as an MP ahead of the Privileges Committee's report, claiming he was "forced out of Parliament". |
| What is the Privileges Committee? | What is the Privileges Committee? |
| Committees are bodies in Parliament which examine issues such as laws or policies in more detail. | Committees are bodies in Parliament which examine issues such as laws or policies in more detail. |
| The House of Commons Privileges Committee investigates cases which "may prevent or hinder" the work of Parliament. | The House of Commons Privileges Committee investigates cases which "may prevent or hinder" the work of Parliament. |
| Its duties include looking at cases where MPs are accused of breaking rules. | Its duties include looking at cases where MPs are accused of breaking rules. |
| The committee has been considering whether Mr Johnson misled MPs about what he knew about parties held in Downing Street during Covid lockdowns. | The committee has been considering whether Mr Johnson misled MPs about what he knew about parties held in Downing Street during Covid lockdowns. |
| The committee has "privileges" in its name because it deals with certain privileges that MPs enjoy. These include immunity from legal prosecution for anything said in Parliament, to allow MPs to speak freely. | The committee has "privileges" in its name because it deals with certain privileges that MPs enjoy. These include immunity from legal prosecution for anything said in Parliament, to allow MPs to speak freely. |
| The committee was established in its current form in 2013 in the House of Commons. Similar work was previously done by a larger committee called the Standards and Privileges Committee. | The committee was established in its current form in 2013 in the House of Commons. Similar work was previously done by a larger committee called the Standards and Privileges Committee. |
| Did Boris Johnson mislead Parliament over parties? | Did Boris Johnson mislead Parliament over parties? |
| The Covid rules when Downing Street parties were held | The Covid rules when Downing Street parties were held |
| What does Sue Gray's parties report say? | What does Sue Gray's parties report say? |
| Who are the Privileges Committee members? | Who are the Privileges Committee members? |
| Boris Johnson accused members of the committee of having a bias against him, saying: "Their purpose from the beginning has been to find me guilty, regardless of the facts." | Boris Johnson accused members of the committee of having a bias against him, saying: "Their purpose from the beginning has been to find me guilty, regardless of the facts." |
| However, four of the seven members of the committee are Conservative MPs (Sir Bernard Jenkin, Sir Charles Walker, Andy Carter and Alberto Costa). | However, four of the seven members of the committee are Conservative MPs (Sir Bernard Jenkin, Sir Charles Walker, Andy Carter and Alberto Costa). |
| Two members are Labour MPs (Harriet Harman and Yvonne Fovargue) and one represents the SNP (Allan Dorans). | Two members are Labour MPs (Harriet Harman and Yvonne Fovargue) and one represents the SNP (Allan Dorans). |
| The rules state the chair has to be a member of the official opposition - ie from the Labour party. Harriet Harman was unanimously elected to the post in June 2022. | The rules state the chair has to be a member of the official opposition - ie from the Labour party. Harriet Harman was unanimously elected to the post in June 2022. |
| Watch: What is the hearing all about? Harriet Harman explains | Watch: What is the hearing all about? Harriet Harman explains |
| Watch: What is the hearing all about? Harriet Harman explains | Watch: What is the hearing all about? Harriet Harman explains |
| What punishments can the committee recommend? | What punishments can the committee recommend? |
| The committee can order any MP to appear before it, and require them to hand over documents or other evidence. | The committee can order any MP to appear before it, and require them to hand over documents or other evidence. |
| There isn't a set list of punishments it can recommend, but they must be approved by a vote in the House of Commons. | |
| Parties have traditionally not told their MPs which way to vote on such matters, although there have been exceptions to this. | Parties have traditionally not told their MPs which way to vote on such matters, although there have been exceptions to this. |
| The committee can advise that an MP be suspended from the Commons. A suspension of more than two weeks could trigger something called a recall petition, which in turn could lead to a by-election. | The committee can advise that an MP be suspended from the Commons. A suspension of more than two weeks could trigger something called a recall petition, which in turn could lead to a by-election. |
| In the most extreme cases it can recommend an MP be expelled. | In the most extreme cases it can recommend an MP be expelled. |
| The committee can also require an MP to apologise, or recommend that the House of Commons vote to rebuke them. It can call for an MP's salary to be withheld, or for public money to be repaid. | The committee can also require an MP to apologise, or recommend that the House of Commons vote to rebuke them. It can call for an MP's salary to be withheld, or for public money to be repaid. |
| As Mr Johnson has already resigned as an MP, it is not yet clear what sanctions the Committee will recommend. | As Mr Johnson has already resigned as an MP, it is not yet clear what sanctions the Committee will recommend. |
| There is still expected to be a debate among MPs who will vote on whether to approve the report and there are suggestions opposition MPs may try introduce their own sanctions. | |
| Why did Boris Johnson call the committee a "kangaroo court"? | Why did Boris Johnson call the committee a "kangaroo court"? |
| Boris Johnson has been widely criticised for describing the committee as "a kangaroo court" in his resignation statement. | Boris Johnson has been widely criticised for describing the committee as "a kangaroo court" in his resignation statement. |
| The phrase generally refers to a group acting without legal authority which hastily reaches a verdict without considering evidence. | The phrase generally refers to a group acting without legal authority which hastily reaches a verdict without considering evidence. |
| Mr Johnson's conduct was referred to the committee after a vote in the House of Commons in April 2022. It did not call for evidence until June 2022, once the police investigation into Partygate had finished. | Mr Johnson's conduct was referred to the committee after a vote in the House of Commons in April 2022. It did not call for evidence until June 2022, once the police investigation into Partygate had finished. |
| At his evidence hearing, Mr Johnson criticised committee chair Harriet Harman for having "said some things about this matter before reading the evidence". | At his evidence hearing, Mr Johnson criticised committee chair Harriet Harman for having "said some things about this matter before reading the evidence". |
| He was referring to comments she made on Twitter in April 2022, when she said that if Boris Johnson and then Chancellor Rishi Sunak accepted a fine for a lockdown breaking party, "they are also admitting that they misled the House of Commons". | He was referring to comments she made on Twitter in April 2022, when she said that if Boris Johnson and then Chancellor Rishi Sunak accepted a fine for a lockdown breaking party, "they are also admitting that they misled the House of Commons". |
| Ms Harman replaced the previous chair Sir Chris Bryant, who decided he should not lead the investigation because of his previous criticism of Mr Johnson's rule-breaking. | Ms Harman replaced the previous chair Sir Chris Bryant, who decided he should not lead the investigation because of his previous criticism of Mr Johnson's rule-breaking. |
| Can the committee only investigate MPs? | Can the committee only investigate MPs? |
| No - it can also decide if non-MPs have been in contempt of Parliament. | No - it can also decide if non-MPs have been in contempt of Parliament. |
| In 2019, the Privileges Committee examined the refusal of Boris Johnson's former adviser Dominic Cummings to give evidence to another parliamentary committee. | In 2019, the Privileges Committee examined the refusal of Boris Johnson's former adviser Dominic Cummings to give evidence to another parliamentary committee. |
| It found that Mr Cummings was in contempt of Parliament and recommended that the House of Commons should pass a resolution criticising him. | It found that Mr Cummings was in contempt of Parliament and recommended that the House of Commons should pass a resolution criticising him. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| House of Commons | House of Commons |
| Coronavirus lockdown measures | Coronavirus lockdown measures |
| Boris Johnson | Boris Johnson |
| UK Parliament | UK Parliament |
| Harriet Harman | Harriet Harman |