The UK House of Commons voted unanimously on Thursday to investigate UK premier Boris Johnson over allegations that he “misled” Parliament. The inquiry concerns statements he made in December about illegal Downing Street parties that flouted pandemic-era lockdown rules.
Convention holds that if a UK prime minister is found to have “misled” Parliament, he will be expected to step down.
Johnson’s fellow Conservatives were given a “free vote,” meaning instructed to vote with their conscience, or not at all, on whether to launch the investigation.
A proposed amendment to delay the inquiry was withdrawn on Thursday when it met resistance from Conservatives like MP William Wrag, who said “it is utterly depressing to be asked to defend the indefensible” and that Conservatives “must be seen to do the right thing.”
“We each only have our own limited and imperfect integrity, we can’t keep spending it on others who we cannot be sure won’t let us down,” he added. He called membership in Parliament a “singular honor” and said the legislature should strive to remain “reasonably honest.”
“I don’t want this thing to endlessly go on. But, I have absolutely nothing, frankly, to hide,” Johnson told Sky News on Wednesday during a previously scheduled visit to India ahead of the vote.