Boris Johnson asks allies not to vote against Partygate findings

Boris Johnson has asked his supporters not to vote against a report that found he intentionally misled Parliament.

The Commons is expected to approve the Privileges Committee's recommendations - which will strip Mr Johnson of his right to a parliamentary pass.

Several of the former PM's allies, including Nadine Dorries, have said they plan to vote against the motion.

Another ally, James Duddridge, said he had spoken to Mr Johnson and "he doesn't want there to be a vote".

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MPs are due to debate the Privileges Committee's conclusion that Mr Johnson deliberately misled the House of Commons and committed contempt of parliament.

The committee's main recommendation is that Mr Johnson should be suspended from Parliament for 90 days, but he has already stood down as an MP.

The motion could be passed without the need for MPs to troop through the voting lobbies, if no one in the Commons chamber shouts "no" when the Speaker asks if they approve it.

Opposition parties - who all back the report - could force a vote, whether Conservatives want one or not.

This would mean MPs would have to publicly reveal whether they back the committee's findings.

BBC Political Editor Chris Mason said this might expose just how diminished Mr Johnson's parliamentary support is now.

Sources close to Mr Johnson said the privileges report "has no practical effect" and that his supporters would speak in the debate but would not be told to vote against it.

Sir Simon Clarke, Sir Jake Berry and Brendan Clarke-Smith, three of Mr Johnson's biggest supporters, have previously said they would vote against the motion.

They are among a small group of Tory MPs who have rallied behind Mr Johnson following the Privileges Committee's damning verdict, which came after a year-long inquiry.

Allies of Mr Johnson had warned Tory MPs they could face battles with their local parties to remain as candidates at the next election if they back the motion.

Ms Dorries claimed the report had "overreached" and said any Tory MP who voted to approve it was "fundamentally not a Conservative".

Other Tory MPs supportive of Mr Johnson hit out at the findings, with Mr Clarke saying the report was "absolutely extraordinary to the point of sheer vindictiveness".

But senior Conservative MP Damian Green told the BBC the committee had "come up with what is clearly a set of damning conclusions".

The former cabinet minister under Theresa May said he intended to vote to approve the report with a "heavy heart".

The seven-person Privileges Committee found Mr Johnson had shown "personal knowledge" of Covid-rule breaches in Downing Street but had repeatedly failed to "pro-actively investigate" the facts.

The committee said officials had not advised Mr Johnson that social distancing guidelines were followed at all times, contrary to what he said in the House of Commons at the time.

In an eviscerating statement he branded the committee a "kangaroo court" and its findings "deranged", accusing Harriet Harman, the Labour chairwoman of the committee, of bias.

Mr Johnson announced last Friday that he was standing down as an MP with immediate effect after being shown a draft of the report.

A by-election will be held on 20 July in his Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency.