Partygate: Johnson report is justice served - Labour's Chris Bryant

A damning report into Boris Johnson over lockdown parties at No 10 is "justice" for those who suffered during the pandemic, according to a Labour MP.

Chris Bryant said the former prime minister was a "scoundrel" who "repeatedly lied".

A report by MPs said Johnson deliberately misled the Commons over parties at Downing Street.

Mr Johnson says the Privileges Committee report is a "charade" that "twisted the truth".

Rhondda MP Bryant chairs the committee but stepped aside before the probe to ensure a fair report because he had publicly criticised Johnson in the past.

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He said on Thursday: "Finally, justice for all those people who lost their livelihoods, because they stuck by the rules during the lockdowns, and couldn't hold their loved ones' hands as they died, while Johnson and his cronies partied.

"He lied. Repeatedly lied. And he did so knowingly. He's a scoundrel, and I hope we never see him back in politics again."

Boris Johnson stepped down as a Tory MP after claiming he was "forced out of Parliament" over Partygate

The Privileges Committee said it would have recommended suspending Johnson from the House for 90 days, had he not already stepped down as an MP last week.

It says he deliberately misled the House, the committee, and was "complicit in the campaign of abuse and attempted intimidation of the committee".

It also recommends he should not get a pass which allows ex-MPs to access Parliament after they leave.

Mr Johnson stepped down as a Tory MP after being given advance sight of the Privileges Committee's report.

In statement today, the former PM said the report marks "a dreadful day for MPs and for democracy" and accuses the Privileges Committee of functioning in an "anti-democratic way".

He adds that he considers the findings "the final knife-thrust in a protracted political assassination - that is beneath contempt".

The report found Johnson deliberately misled the House of Commons by repeatedly telling it Covid rules had been followed at all times in Downing Street

He ends his statement by saying: "It is for the people of this country to decide who sits in Parliament, not [committee chair] Harriet Harman."

Speaking just before the report was published, a senior Conservative MP told BBC Wales: "Arguably the report is tainted, and there's a big question mark over the conduct of at least one member of the committee which needs to be clarified."

Following its publication, Plaid Cymru's Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts, said: "The people of Wales made up their minds a long time ago - Boris Johnson is a liar who should never be allowed to poison our politics again.

"The Tories are now in a full-blown civil war over personalities and peerages. Meanwhile, ordinary people can't afford basic necessities and see their mortgages and rents going through the roof on Westminster's watch.

"People have had enough. The only way to bring this grotesque saga to an end is through a general election."

But Bridgend Conservative MP Jamie Wallis said the issue of Boris Johnson's conduct was being "pushed more than the public appetite".

Mr Wallis said he had just heard a "rant" from an Uber driver about the "whole lot of us going on about Boris when serious issues need attention - he's right".

"Let's move forward. My objective is to help the party do that in a way that positions it as a party for the next decades, not just the previous ones.

"Lots of work to do, not a huge amount of time."