Either you’re an idiot or a liar, were the words Theresa May effectively chided Boris Johnson with when the interim Sue Gray report on partygate was released last year. “Which was it?” she asked. To avoid the career-ending charge of intentionally misleading parliament, Johnson pleaded idiocy in front of the Privileges Committee today.
Sceptical about whether her words would resonate, Harriet Harman, the select committee’s chairwoman, began by telling Johnson that this was “about the truth”. How wrong she was. This was about whether Johnson could avoid a ten-day suspension from the Commons and thereby avoid the risk of losing his seat. This was Johnson’s four hours in the spotlight, a chance, perhaps his last, to stitch back together his career.
Content from our partners
