Bozo Bombshell Defence ISN’T

Coming back into view this week is the Parliamentary Standards Committee and its inquiry into whether disgraced former alleged Prime Minister Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson knowingly misled the Commons, or, in other words, lied to it. And the prospects for Bozo are not good, especially given his track record of dishonesty, serial and indeed congenital.

What is also not working in his favour is the mood among Tory MPs, an increasing number of whom are coming round to the view that perhaps it is now time for their one-time hero to at least scale down his Parliamentary profile, if not leave the scene altogether. Nonetheless, Bozo has come out fighting, or at least friends of his have (which most likely means Himself).

And working in his favour is the right-leaning part of our free and fearless press, in which there are still plenty of influential voices prepared to tell the world that OK, maybe he is an SOB, but he’s their SOB. So it is that the increasingly desperate and downmarket Telegraph tells readers today “MPs accused of moving goalposts over Partygate”. They’re batting for Bozo.

So is the Murdoch Times, splashing with the headline “Lockdown parties inquiry is unlawful and biased, says Johnson”. But the actual substance of his defence, er, isn’t. Times political editor Steven Swinford has spelt it out: "There is no 'bombshell' Whatsapp message. There is one message - already referred to by the committee as setting out a 'line to take' - which Johnson argues supports his case. There are some other documents showing Johnson sought assurances, but just the one Whatsapp message”.

And for those responding “Yebbut Sue Gray Labour, eh?” Swinford notes “It's also worth noting that for all the furore surrounding Sue Gray - including Johnson personally criticising her - her move to Labour *is not* being referenced in his legal submission”. And it gets worse. A lot worse.

If the line to take is that rules were not broken, that does not mean rules were not broken. It’s not a legal opinion. Moreover, whatever the line to take, Bozo should have known what the rules were, if only because he was on TV regularly during the pandemic telling the public what they were.

Mikey Smith of the Mirror has concluded “Boris Johnson’s strategy, other than bad faith undermining of parliament’s standards process (again), appears to hinge on messages he says prove he was *told* no rules were broken. That’s pretty wobbly”. As so often with Bozo, the briefing to his press pals is not matched by reality. He’s batting on a sticky track. So what happens next?

As the BBC has reminded us, “The former prime minister faces a crucial televised evidence session in front of the Commons Privileges Committee on Wednesday. The committee is yet to publish its final verdict - but its initial update earlier this month said Mr Johnson may have misled Parliament multiple times. Mr Johnson denies misleading MPs”. He would, wouldn’t he?

Do go on. “Wednesday's session, which could last up to five hours, will be a key chance for Mr Johnson to persuade the seven cross-party MPs [with a Tory majority] who make up the committee that he did not mislead MPs in December 2021 … Sources close to Mr Johnson say he will publish a ‘compelling dossier’ that will provide evidence and arguments that he did not knowingly mislead parliament”. And if he fails to convince them?

“If he … is found guilty, he could be suspended from the Commons, and even faces a recall petition, which would trigger a by-election, if that suspension is for more than 10 days … Crucially, though, MPs would have to approve any sanction on Mr Johnson”. But it will be a free vote. Which means one thing.

Those Tories who have concluded that it’s time for Bozo to leave the stage can vote as they see fit. Their only problem is the last line of Bozo loyalists - the vindictive and deluded constituency associations who have already deselected some of their colleagues for being insufficiently loyal to him.

Also, Bozo’s press pals won’t like it, especially the prospect of a by-election in Uxbridge and South Ruislip which the Tories are, right now, a racing certainty to lose. He might have been an election winner in 2019, but his behaviour during the pandemic caused revulsion among many of those who had been conned into voting Tory because it would “Get Brexit Done”.

The time of Bozo was for a time, but not for all time. Just rejoice at that news.

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