World News | Boris Johnson resigns as UK MP after being told he will be sanctioned for misleading Parliament

LONDON, June 9 (AP) Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Friday he will resign as an MP after being told he would be sanctioned for misleading parliament.

Johnson resigned after receiving findings from lawmakers that he had made misleading statements to parliament about a series of government rallies in breach of pandemic lockdown rules.

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In a statement, he accused opponents of trying to throw him out.

Johnson resigned as prime minister in 2022 amid multiple scandals but remains an MP.

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This is a breaking news update. An early AP report follows.

LONDON (AP) — Dozens of allies of former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson were honored by King Charles III on Friday, a list that drew opponents of the ousted leader Cry of cronyism.

The “honor of resignation”, bestowed by the monarch but chosen by the government, is an established but controversial way for outgoing leaders to reward loyal lieutenants.

Johnson awarded lifetime seats in the Upper House, the unelected upper house of parliament, to several former advisers and to loyalist lawmakers including former cabinet ministers Jacob Rees-Mogg and Priti Patel The title of knighthood or baroness. Other aides, lawmakers and Conservative figures have received fewer honors.

The list includes several staff members embroiled in the “partygate” scandal involving rule-breaking gatherings in government buildings during the pandemic, including former Johnson aides Martin Reynolds and Shelley Williams-Walker.

Angela Rayner, deputy leader of the opposition Labor Party, said Johnson had rewarded “a group of cronies”.

“Instead of addressing the cost of living crisis, the Conservatives spent their time rewarding those who tried to cover up breaches and flatter a disgraced former prime minister,” she said.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office said that, as is customary, current leaders have not interfered with their predecessors’ honor rolls.

Among Mr Johnson’s political allies, one name stood out on the list: Kelly Dodge, the long-time manager of parliament’s in-house hair salon, who was awarded an OBE.

One name missing from the list is former culture secretary Nadine Dorries, a staunch Johnson supporter who was widely rumored to be heading to the House of Lords. She was not on the list, but announced her resignation as an MP on Friday, effective immediately. A special election will be held to fill her seat in the House of Commons.

Patronage issues are particularly sensitive around Johnson, who leaves office in September 2022 when scandals over money, ethics and judgment turn Conservative lawmakers against him.

Johnson’s Conservative predecessors Theresa May and David Cameron also presented the honor when they stepped down from office in 2019 and 2016 respectively. But the Labor prime ministers before them, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, did not use the procedure.

Johnson, whose career has been a roller coaster of scandals and comebacks, led the Conservative Party to a landslide victory in 2019 only to be ousted by his own party less than three years later.

As a lawmaker, he is awaiting the findings of a Commons standards committee for making misleading statements to parliament about a series of rallies in Government Houses in 2020 and 2021 that violated pandemic lockdown rules.

Police eventually handed out 126 fines for late night parties, boozy parties and “wine hour on Fridays”, including against Johnson, in a scandal that hastened the end of his prime ministership.

The committee is expected to publish its report in the coming weeks. If it is concluded that Johnson deliberately lied, he could face suspension from the House of Commons. A suspension of 10 days or more would allow his constituents to call a special election to replace Johnson in parliament. (Associated Press)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the body of content may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)