Boris Johnson: MPs vote in favour of Partygate report

Rishi Sunak believes the saga over Boris Johnson’s partygate scandal has ended following a vote in the Commons, Downing Street has said.

The Prime Minister, who did not vote on Monday as MPs backed the findings of a report into Mr Johnson’s conduct, “respects” the decision of the House.

Asked whether Mr Sunak believes his predecessor did mislead MPs, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “He respects the decision the House has come to, this follows extensive work by the committee. But beyond that I don’t have anything more to add.”

Asked whether the Prime Minister thought the matter was now closed, the spokesman said: “Yes.”

Mr Sunak had “commitments” he said he could not move that meant he avoided having to endorse the report’s recommendations.

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He hosted Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson in Downing Street before attending a dinner.

Publicly backing the report would have risked deepening the Tory split between Johnson loyalists and his administration.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride on Tuesday called for an end to the Conservative civil war and urged Cabinet ministers to “row together” and end the hostilities.

Mr Stride said he fully accepts the committee’s findings and defended it from attacks, saying its members acted with “absolute integrity” and “diligence”.

But he said that he abstained because the 90-day suspension that would have been recommended if Mr Johnson had not resigned in anticipation of the findings made him feel “quite uneasy”.

He added: “My hope is that Boris Johnson, the current Cabinet… that we can all row together now and focus on what people really care about.”

Only seven MPs voted against the report, with even some of Mr Johnson’s staunchest allies abstaining.

Mr Johnson will be denied the pass to Parliament usually granted to former MPs after the sanction recommended by the cross-party committee was endorsed by 354 votes.

Mr Stride said that Mr Johnson is in a “difficult situation”, adding: “I think really the caravan has got to move on from Boris Johnson, with respect.”

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg said during Monday’s debate that the recommendation to remove Mr Johnson’s parliamentary pass was “ridiculous” and the 90-day suspension “vindictive”.

The latter cannot be implemented as Mr Johnson has left Parliament.

Former prime minister Liz Truss said the Privileges Committee report was “overly harsh” but another ex-PM Theresa May was scathing of Mr Johnson and urged MPs to back it in order to restore trust in Parliament.

She added: “It is important to show the public that there is not one rule for them and another for us.”

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