Northern Ireland

DUP avoids landmark Westminster vote over former ally Boris Johnson

None of the eight MPs in Sir Jeffrey Donaldson's DUP turned up to vote on the report into Boris Johnson's behaviour
None of the eight MPs in Sir Jeffrey Donaldson's DUP turned up to vote on the report into Boris Johnson's behaviour
By Allan Preston

ONLY two of Northern Ireland 's MPs voted in Monday’s landmark debate over the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

An overwhelming 354 MPs voted to approve a damning report from the Privileges Committee which found Mr Johnson lied to parliament over his partygate denials.

Among Northern Ireland’s 18 MPs, the SDLP leader Colum Eastwood and the Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry voted Aye, while none of the DUP’s eight MPs voted either way.

Claire Hanna, the SDLP’s South Belfast MP, did not vote and Sinn Féin’s seven MPs abstain from parliament.

The DUP had a close relationship with Mr Johnson in recent years.

The party fully backed Mr Johnson in his Brexit campaign after he had assured them that leaving the EU would not lead to a border in the Irish sea.

When this backfired, tensions over the Northern Ireland protocol led to the DUP’s ongoing boycott of Stormont.

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MPs vote overwhelmingly for report that found Johnson lied about partygate

The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also stayed away from proceedings, stating he did not want to influence members either way.

In what has been a humiliating defeat for Mr Johnson, his sanctions have included banning from having a pass to access to parliament which is normally available to former MPs.

He would also have faced a 90-day suspension from parliament, but he had already stepped down after receiving a copy of the report in advance.

Monday’s vote followed several hours of debate, where criticisms against Mr Johnson included calling him a “man child who won’t see that he only has himself to blame”.

With Conservative MPs given a free vote, 118 backed the report but with the majority staying away.

Among the seven who voted against was the senior backbencher Sir Bill Cash and Nick Fletcher, who argued that Mr Johnson was “human” and that he “nearly died” during the pandemic.

The former Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May said that backing the report would be “a small but important step in restoring people’s trust” in Parliament.

Speaking ahead of the vote, Foyle MP Colum Eastwood said: “Boris Johnson showed chronic dishonesty and disregard for the public in the face of those who sacrificed during the pandemic.

“The Standards and Privileges Committee's report exposes his unfitness for office. We must hold this liar accountable for betraying public trust.”

North Down MP Stephen Farry added: “Just voted in support of the Privileges Committee report against Boris Johnson. While he has been finally held accountable for his lies, his character was well known. He should have never (been) near to power. Huge problems in UK Governance and standards in public life sadly persist.”