MPs approve Boris Johnson Partygate report

1. MPs have voted to approve a report which found Boris Johnson deliberately misled MPs over parties at Downing Street during lockdown
2. Johnson would have faced a 90-day suspension if he were still an MP - but he quit after being sent the report's findings in advance
3. The report also recommended he should not be allowed a pass which lets ex-MPs freely access Parliament
4. Labour say Prime Minister Rishi Sunak - who was not at the debate - is "too weak" to stand up to Johnson
5. You can watch along live by tapping Play at the top of the page

That's all folks

Dulcie Lee

Live reporter

Well, today's five-hour debate in Parliament was certainly a marathon not a sprint.

And as we stumble over the finish line, wearily wiping sweat from our brows, we're going to end our live coverage here.

For a full summary of the day's events, check out our main story.

Today's updates were written by Adam Durbin, Emily McGarvey, Thomas Mackintosh and Jennifer McKiernan.

The page was edited by Jack Burgess and me.

Until next time.

Johnson deliberately misled Parliament, MPs conclude

Reuters

So, Boris Johnson's former colleagues have voted to approve a report which concluded he deliberately misled Parliament.

Missed it? Here's a quick wrap up of today's events:

MPs voted by 354 votes to seven to approve the report, after five hours of debate on its findings that the ex-PM deliberately misled the House of Commons over parties in Downing Street during lockdown.

Many Tory MPs chose to stay away from Parliament today, which means no vote was recorded for them.

Questions have been raised over the whereabouts of current PM Rishi Sunak, who earlier said he had other commitments and was absent during the debate. He has declined to express an opinion on the report's findings so far.

A full vote was called after Labour objected to adopting the report unanimously, forcing MPs to put their position on the record.

So what happens now?

Well, in a sense not much as Johnson has already resigned as an MP. There'll be a by-election on 20 July in his north-west London constituency, Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

But one material sanction against Johnson that MPs endorsed is to deny him a parliamentary access pass, given to former MPs to allow them unlimited access to Parliament.

Watch the moment MPs accepted Partygate report

If you missed the key moment in the Commons, don't worry, you can watch it back in our 30-second clip right here:

Watch: Boris Johnson Partygate reported approved by MPs

A mood of cathartic anger at Johnson tonight

Chris Mason

Political editor

The overwhelming mood in the Commons this evening over five hours of debate was one of cathartic anger finding an outlet.

MPs on all sides were incredibly passionate, in what often amounted to outrage, at how they felt about Boris Johnson's behaviour.

With 118 Conservative MPs voting to back this report, that means around 200 decided to not vote at all.

Amongst them is the prime minister, who has been nowhere near the House of Commons today and has been ducking questions on this whole theme for the last few days.

In the end it's only the votes which were actually cast that matter, the result overwhelming clear about Johnson tonight.

Report accepted by 118 Tories

Some 118 Conservative MPs voted to back the report - out of a total of 352 Tory MPs.

Cabinet ministers that backed the report include:

• Justice Secretary Alex Chalk
• Wales Secretary David TC Davies
• Chief Whip Simon Hart
• Education Secretary Gillian Keegan
• Science Secretary Chloe Smith
• Leader of the Commons Penny Mordaunt

This list also includes foreign minister Andrew Mitchell and Security Minister Tom Tugendhat, who attend cabinet but aren't fully fledged cabinet ministers.

Who voted against the report?

We've just got the list of MPs who voted for and against the report.

Here's who voted against it:

• Bill Cash
• Nick Fletcher
• Adam Holloway
• Karl McCartney
• Joy Morrissey
• Heather Wheeler

There are six listed as voting against the report on Parliament's website, but in the Commons a few moments ago the "tellers" recorded this as seven.

We're investigating the discrepancy - this is usually because tellers have either miscounted, or some MPs' names weren't properly recorded on the readers they must tap their pass against.

You can look through the list for yourself here.

Large number of Tories backed report

Faisal Islam

Economics editor

The significance of the 354 MPs voting in favour of the report is that a large number of Conservatives must have backed it.

It means a majority of all MPs was secured, regardless of those who abstained.

What did the report say again?

PA MEDIA

Let's recall the key points from the report, which MPs have just approved:

• It concluded the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson deliberately misled MPs when he repeatedly told them Covid rules had been followed at all times in Downing Street
• The committee found he had "personal knowledge" of breaches of the rules and guidance in No 10, and decided it was "highly unlikely" Johnson had really believed the assurances he gave at the time
• That meant Johnson had committed a "contempt" of Parliament because his misleading reassurances stopped MPs from holding him to account
• Initially, the committee was minded to recommend a suspension of more than 10 days - enough to potentially trigger a by-election, meaning he could be voted out by his constituents
• But following Johnson’s attacks on the committee’s integrity, that recommendation was hiked up to 90 days
• It was also recommended that he not be given a pass for ex-MPs allowing unlimited access to Parliament

Get more detail on the report here.

Ministers spotted in voting lobbies

Ione Wells

Political correspondent

We did catch a glimpse of some cabinet ministers in the division lobbies there, including Penny Mordaunt and the Chief Whip Simon Hart.

It will raise questions about why Rishi Sunak wasn't here for the vote.

BreakingMPs approve Johnson Partygate report

And that’s it - MPs have voted to approve the report which said Boris Johnson deliberately misled the House of Commons over lockdown parties at Downing Street.

Here's the full vote tally:

• For - 354
• Against - 7

The results don't include the MPs who didn't vote, who will be recorded as abstaining.

Labour MP forced vote

Nick Watt

Political editor, BBC Newsnight

The Labour chief whip Alan Campbell positioned himself right next to Commons speaker to shout repeatedly “no no” when the Speaker Lindsay Hoyle asked whether MPs supported the Boris Johnson report.

His shouts triggered the vote.

Result expected in a few minutes

MPs are now voting, and we expect the result to be revealed in about five minute's time. (It's not a totally exact science, though.)

We'll bring you the full scores on the doors, just as soon as we hear them.

Remember, you can watch along live by pressing Play at the top of the page.

BreakingMPs to vote on Johnson Partygate report

The report into Boris Johnson will now go to an on-the-record vote - referred to as division - after some MPs objected to adopting it unanimously.

We weren’t sure if it would go to a vote earlier, but attending MPs will now have to go on record to either vote for or against - or abstain from - the motion to accept the report.

It's worth remembering that some MPs who aren't in Parliament tonight, such as Rishi Sunak, won't be voting.

Stick with us for the full result in a few moments.

Mordaunt closes long debate

BBC

After five hours, Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt is now closing the debate.

Mordaunt says she wants to make three final points:

• firstly, she thanks the Privileges Committee for their hard work to produce the report
• she acknowledges the tributes that some colleagues have made to Boris Johnson and thanks all MPs for taking part in the debate
• and she says MPs should vote with their conscience and be left alone afterwards, once they have made up their minds.

We’ll get an answer on whether MPs back the report shortly.

Where is Rishi Sunak?

"Where is our prime minister?" asks Labour MP Simon Lightwood.

We've not seen the prime minister at this debate - and we don't expect to either.

A little earlier, Downing Street said Rishi Sunak was meeting the Swedish prime minister and has a "series of meetings [and] an evening commitment".

How would he vote? No 10 didn't say, only saying Sunak did not wish to influence MPs' decision.

"He thinks it is right to respect the process and enable members to express their views freely without looking to influence that decision. It is a free vote for MPs," Downing Street said.

Significant moment as Johnson called 'liar' in Parliament

Ione Wells

Political correspondent

Parliament has pretty strict rules on what it calls "unparliamentary language".

MPs refer to each other as "honourable friends" and any language that suggests they are dishonourable - like calling one of their contemporaries a liar - is usually frowned upon.

Unless, that is, if they are actively debating whether or not someone is a liar.

The rules have proved controversial at times.

House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has in the past even kicked MPs out of the chamber for referring to Boris Johnson as a liar.

So it was a significant moment this evening when Labour MP Jess Phillips said in today's debate "Boris Johnson is a liar".

He's no longer an MP and they are actively debating a report that found he deliberately misled MPs.

This is a rare occasion where that language is allowed.

Empty benches in the Commons

There's plenty of green seating on display in the Commons right now, as the number of MPs in the chamber dwindles.

Some MPs will likely return as the debate draws to a close shortly.

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Don't worry, we've just stocked up on tea so we're still going strong!

Tory MPs knew Johnson's history of dishonesty - SNP's Blackford

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The SNP's Ian Blackford has criticised Tory MPs for making Boris Johnson prime minister in the first place, given they were aware of his "history of dishonesty" before taking office.

"Sacked from the Times for making up a quote, sacked from the Tory frontbench for lying about an affair.

"This is a well-trodden path of a man who believes he is above the rules that the rest of us must follow," Blackford tells MPs.

He dismisses Johnson's defence of the lockdown gatherings as being necessary as a thank you to staff, describing the claim as "hypocrisy on stilts" given the sacrifices the public made.

He was lying but the system protected him - Labour MP

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Labour's Dawn Butler has said MPs are doing a poor job of guarding British democracy, telling MPs it is "quite ironic" that she was thrown out of the House of Commons for calling Boris Johnson a liar two years ago.

"The irony is if he wasn't such a weasel and he didn't resign, he would have been thrown out of this place," she says.

Butler says she sometimes wonders what the purpose of Parliament is "if we can't hold ministers to account" and allow lies.

She continues by saying Johnson "knew that we knew he was lying, but the system protected him".

What could happen tonight?

Dulcie Lee

Live reporter

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We’re still listening to MPs giving their two cents (or 200 cents) on the Privileges Committee report, which found former Prime Minister Boris Johnson deliberately misled Parliament over lockdown parties.

So how could the night end?

After MPs are finished speaking, they'll be asked whether they approve the motion to accept the report.

If there’s not enough noisy protest from those who disagree with it, it’ll simply pass through (“nodded through” in the jargon).

Otherwise, it’ll go to a vote and we’ll get a record of what individual MPs think about the report.

However, that list will be missing some key people - including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak - who aren't in Parliament tonight.

Oh, and it'll all have to be wrapped up by 22:00, just in time for bed.