Boris Johnson is the victim of blatant injustice, but Rishi Sunak’s government must walk away from him
A bad stench of Brexit revenge
IT is not an action. This is not a coordinated conspiracy by Boris Johnson’s supporters. The committee that found him guilty and imposed such an insanely vengeful sentence just stinks to high heaven.
These seven MPs and their supporters clutched their beads yesterday as they were accused of any suggestion that they were not being scrupulously impartial, fair and measured. Who do you think they’re kidding?
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The original leader, Tory-hating Labor MP Chris Bryant, admitted his own bias and resigned.
Still, it was somehow OK to replace him with Labor’s Harriet Harman, who had repeatedly tweeted condemning Boris and the lockdown breaches.
She had chosen him decades ago.
It is also alleged that Tory Bernard Jenkin, no friend of Boris, himself broke Covid rules at a drinks party that was significantly clearer than anything the ex-Prime Minister attended.
How odd that he never confessed to that before delivering the prosecutor’s pious verdict on his old boss.
How, if that was true, was he qualified to serve on this board? Where is HIS suspension?
After all, this trigger-happy privileges committee is threatening to discipline any MP who dares to criticize it – a monstrous assault on free speech.
No Remainer could hide his joy
It might have avoided this firestorm if it hadn’t been so violent.
Some of Boris’ behavior in #10 was sloppy, even reckless.
He wasn’t a great prime minister on the whole – but most of his time was shaped by Covid and the war in Russia.
His early anti-vaccination measures saved countless lives. His global leadership in Ukraine was undeniable.
So the committee could have had a little respect for those accomplishments.
Regrettably, it could have judged him (despite the lack of evidence a real court would need) and briefly suspended him.
Instead, it treated him like a murderer, imposed a staggering 90-day suspension and recommended banning this former prime minister, who was elected to critical acclaim less than four years ago, from the seat of Parliament for life.
The joy that no Remainer could hide on TV betrayed the true motive for this disproportionate sanction: revenge. This was their biggest triumph since Brexit.
It would not be enough to kill this uniquely charismatic Tory who led Leave to victory in 2016 and broke the Remainers’ three-year deadlock on Parliament in 2019.
He had to be buried 12 feet underground and the dirt stamped down.
The insane Liberal Democrats even want him stripped of the £115,000 annual allowance for all former Prime Ministers. What next? Set his house on fire? Take away his children?
The big danger for the Tories now is tearing themselves to pieces over Boris.
He is the victim of blatant injustice. . . Revenge for Brexit.
But Rishi Sunak’s government must simply walk away from him – and Boris and his allies must allow it.