Seven deluded Tories who still backed Boris Johnson exposed – how your MP voted
Just seven MPs stood by Boris Johnson – who had once relied on his popularity among fellow Tories – and rejected a report branding him a liar.
In a miserable end to his career, the former PM’s supporters were nowhere to be seen as MPs overwhelmingly decided to back the findings that he misled Parliament.
Six of the names of Conservative MPs who opposed the Privileges Committee report have so far been confirmed on the division list while the remaining MP is still yet to be known.
They included the MP for Don Valley Nick Fletcher, who was one of the few MPs to show any kind of support for Mr Johnson during the hours-long debate on the report.
He urged MPs to remember Mr Johnson is “human” and that during Covid, he “nearly died”.
The division list showed 118 Conservative MPs voted in favour of the Privileges Committee report while no vote was recorded for 225 MPs.
Rishi Sunak was branded “weak” as he swerved the debate to avoid picking a side.
The ayes list released immediately after the vote contained 352 names rather than the 354 announced in the chamber, but again this could be updated later by the Commons authorities.
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parliament.tv)
The other five Tories who backed Mr Johnson include Brexiteer backbencher Bill Cash, who vowed to vote against the findings, citing the former prime minister’s “historic achievements”.
Another was the MP for Gravesham Adam Holloway, who has previously defended Mr Johnson against Partygate allegations by complaining about the media.
Last June he attacked BBC Newsnight by claiming that the show had portrayed the ex-PMas “Hannibal Lecter”, as he claimed the media altered Mr Johnson’s image during the investigation of the “Partygate” scandal.
MP for Lincoln Karl McCartney also voted against the privileges report. He expressed his unwavering support for Mr Johnson to a local paper this week.
The Brexiteer lamented what he perceived as personal agendas against Mr Johnson leading to a “frenzy”, as he said he would be “forever grateful for the work the former Prime Minster Boris Johnson delivered whilst in office”.
Mr Johnson loyalist MP for Beaconsfield Joy Morrissey was also named, as was MP for South Derbyshire Heather Wheeler.
The seventh MP is reported to be the Tory MP for New Forest West, Sir Desmond Swayne.
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PA)
Former Tory minister Jacob Rees-Mogg was one notable name not mentioned on the Divisions list.
He said earlier today it was legitimate to challenge the findings of the Privileges Committee, and dismissed removing Mr Johnson’s parliamentary pass as “ridiculous”.
Others include Conservative and former PPS for Boris Johnson Lia Nici, who defended her former boss in the Commons debate earlier today.
She said: “The prime minister is not the caretaker of the building, it is not their job to go round and look in rooms and decide who may be working and who may not be working”.
The MP for Great Grimsby said: “I have to speak in the House today because I cannot see where the evidence is where Boris Johnson misled Parliament knowingly, intentionally or recklessly…. The reality is – is that Boris Johnson did not knowingly or intentionally mislead this House.”
She went on: “Number 10 is full of police officers, full of security people. Why did nobody report this to the Prime Minister so that he was aware of it.”
Intervening, Labour’s Jess Phillips (Birmingham Yardley) asked: “Do think that there’s any chance that Boris Johnson could also have lied to her?”
Ms Nici claimed: “Actually, no I don’t believe he did…sadly I believe that unelected officials, some of them, because many, many are very, very good and very professional, but some of them made a choice not to inform the then prime minister because they wanted to cover their own backs, I’m very, very sad to say.”
She said: “Sadly this is all becoming part of a kind of political opportunism for those people who don’t like Boris Johnson’s approach.”
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “Rishi Sunak committed a cowardly cop-out.
“His failure to vote says all you need to know about this Prime Minister’s lack of leadership.
“Sunak promised integrity yet when push came to shove, he was too weak to even turn up.”
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