Boris Johnson resigns as UK MP, says ‘forced out’ of parliament

Boris Johnson’s resignation now sparks by-election for his marginal seat

London: Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resigned as a Conservative MP after claiming he was “forced out of Parliament” over the Partygate incident.

The former prime minister had prior access to a report by the House of Commons Privileges Committee, which is investigating whether he misled the House of Commons about his Downing Street lockdown party, the BBC reported.

Johnson said he was “baffled and shocked” after receiving a letter from a House of Commons committee, according to CNN.

His resignation has now triggered a by-election for his marginal seat.

The Privileges Committee said Johnson had questioned the integrity of the House of Commons, the BBC reported.

The committee led by MPs – with a Conservative majority – said it would wrap up its investigation on Monday and “publish its report expeditiously”.

In his resignation statement issued on Friday, Johnson described the committee as a “kangaroo court” whose purpose “was to convict me from the outset, regardless of the facts”.

Johnson has previously admitted that he misled parliament when he testified to a committee during a heated hearing in March, but denied doing so on purpose.

He said social distancing was not “perfect” at gatherings in Downing Street during the Covid lockdown, but insisted that, as he understood it, the guidelines were always followed.