Report condemns 'extensive use of social media’ to undermine inquiry and singles out 10 MPs and peers

The privileges committee has published a special report naming and heavily criticising the Tory MPs and peers accused of deliberately trying to undermine its inquiry into Boris Johnson with ‘unprecedented and co-ordinated pressure’.

In the damning report, the committee says members of Parliament interfered in the work of the privileges committee in a way that impeded its functions. They said the ‘honesty and integrity’ of the committee was attacked due to interference by the MPs.

Referring to a ‘campaign waged outside Parliament’ the report provided examples of when the named and shamed Tory MPs took to social media or broadcast channels to disrespect the constitutional boundaries.

The report said there were ‘many examples’ of MPs using newspapers and radio and ‘extensive use of social media’ to undermine the committee. Particular concern was expressed about attacks ‘mounted by experienced colleagues’, which they said including a serving Minister of the Crown, a former Leader of the House and a former Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and at least three Members of the House of Lords.

Former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, was found to have committed ‘repeated contempt’s of parliament’ in a final report issued by the privileges committee into Partygate. The committee was summoned to investigate whether Johnson had misled Parliament.

List of MPs and peers named in ‘co-ordinated campaign of interference’

Nadine Dorries

The former secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport was referred to four times in evidence of individual attacks made against the committee via the media.

These included on Twitter, including a Tweet by Dorries which stated: “They have nothing. He protested his innocence all along and he was right. It was a gross miscarriage of justice, at the very least…” Along with her column in the Daily Mail when she accused the inquiry of being biased and on Talk TV when she called the committee a ‘kangaroo court’.

Priti Patel

The former Home Secretary was referenced for her appearance on GB News in March when she there was a ‘lack of transparency.. lack of accountability’ when it came to the inquiry.

Jacob Rees-Mogg

Two pieces of evidence of Rees-Mogg muddying the integrity of the committee are provided in the special report, one from GB News where he says the committee ‘is not even a proper legal setup’ and another on BBC Radio 4 when he said ‘I think it makes kangaroo courts look respectable’.

Michael Fabricant

Ridiculed for his previous attempts to defend Boris Johnson, MP Fabricant was called out for using social media to undermine the integrity of the committee, he is quoted in the report having written: ‘The question of calibre, malice and prejudice will need to be answered now or by historians.’

Brendan Clarke-Smith

He had accused the committee of a ‘parliamentary witch-hunt which he went on to write would ‘put a banana republic to shame’ then accusing the privileges committee of undermining democracy, whilst attempting to weaken the role of a committee set up to hold government to account ?  

Mark Jenkinson

MP Jenkinson was also called out for tweeting about a ‘witch-hunt’.

Zac Goldsmith

Lord Goldsmith was called out for retweeting a Tweet which reference to the inquiry as a ‘witch hunt’ and ‘kangaroo court’, expressing his agreement with the statement.

Andrea Jenkyns

The MP for Morley and Outwood was singled out for a Tweet making a further comparison to a ‘kangaroo court’. On the inquiry into Johnson’s conduct she wrote, ‘I hope to see him fully exonerated and to put an end to this kangaroo court.’

Lord Cruddas and Lord Greenhalgh

Two Lords, both who were provided peerages by Boris Johnson, were referenced as President and Vice-President of the online magazine, Conservative Post, which was accused of putting pressure on Tory members to undermine the committee.

Over 600 emails were made to Conservative members of the committee, the report stated, highlighting an ‘email campaign instigated by the Conservative Post website in order to urge Tory members in the committee to stand aside, as they alleged the inquiry was ‘deeply flawed, biased and unfair’.

The special report urged the House to agree to a series of resolutions in response to their findings, including for the House to approve of the special report and make the House of Lords aware of the report and its resolution so they can act accordingly.

Hannah Davenport is trade union reporter at Left Foot Forward

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