Boris Johnson has been banned from Parliament as MPs voted overwhelmingly to back a damning report into his partygate denials.
Just seven MPs voted against the Privileges Committee’s findings, that found Boris Johnson lied to Parliament, in a turn of events less than a year after he left No 10.
With 354 votes in favour, MPs endorsed sanctions against Mr Johnson recommended by the committee, including banning him from having a pass to access Parliament, which is usually available to former MPs.
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The Tory-majority panel also concluded that Mr Johnson should have faced a 90-day suspension for misleading the House when he told the Commons that Covid rules were obeyed in No 10 despite parties taking place.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was accused of 'a cowardly cop-out' for refusing to take part in the vote, but had insisted he did not want to 'influence' how MPs might vote.
Mr Johnson was censured in his absence, having quit as an MP and labelled the inquiry a 'kangaroo court' after being told in advance of its findings.
Branding him the first former prime minister to have lied to the Commons, the Privileges Committee found Mr Johnson committed 'repeated contempts' of Parliament by deliberately misleading MPs with his partygate denials before being complicit in a campaign of abuse and intimidation.
The former prime minister had urged his allies not to oppose the report, arguing that the sanctions have no practical effect, although critics said it was a move designed to avoid revealing the low level of remaining support for him among Tory MPs.
Conservative former prime minister Theresa May said backing the Privileges Committee’s conclusions would be 'a small but important step in restoring people’s trust' in Parliament.
In a veiled swipe at Mr Sunak’s absence from the chamber, she urged her party to 'show that we are prepared to act when one of our own, however senior, is found wanting'.
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