At the conclusion of the debate on the Report from the Committee of Privileges on the conduct of Boris Johnson, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown pays tribute to the MPs who served on the committee and thanks them for the work they have done on behalf of Parliament despite facing much criticism and abuse.
Afterwards, Sir Geoffrey said:
“In relation to the detailed Report from the Committee of Privilege, into whether Boris Johnson was in contempt of the House for repeatedly saying that he had broken no rules in the so-called ‘party gate scandal’, I considered very carefully whether to support the Committee’s findings or to abstain from voting.
“Every Member of Parliament is elected by their electorate to serve them and can only be removed by a vote of the whole house. So, if I had not supported the Committee, I would have been weakening the disciplinary proceeding of the House and indeed democracy itself.”
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (The Cotswolds) (Con)
Does the Leader of the House agree that, whatever view one takes on this matter and whichever side one is on, the House unanimously set up the membership of the Privileges Committee—all seven Members—who worked for months diligently to produce this report, but they have come under huge criticism and abuse, so much so that they have had to have extra security, to preserve the reputation of this House, and this House therefore owes them a huge debt of gratitude?
The Leader of the House of Commons (Penny Mordaunt)
I thank my hon. Friend, and I think he makes that point very well.