Partygate Inquiry Could Lead to Boris Johnson Losing His Seat in Parliament

Per the so-called Recall Act, a British MP who is either sentenced to prison or suspended for 10 days or more may face a by-election if a sufficient number of members of the MP’s constituency signs a petition to call for one.

While UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation earlier this month and the Conservative Party is moving to select his successor, it appears the fallout from the Partygate scandal that plagued BoJo’s government in recent months may complicate his life further.

According to The Guardian, Johnson still faces a probe into whether he misled MPs by assuring them that “all guidance was followed” at 10 Downing Street, and if he is found to have been in contempt of Parliament, the House of Commons Privileges Committee can punish him with a suspension from the House of Commons.

Such a development, if it comes to pass, may in turn trigger the Recall Act, which stipulates that MPs suspended from Parliament for at least 10 days or are sentenced to prison could face a by-election if a petition calling for one is signed by at least 10 percent of voters in their constituency.

The media outlet notes that MPs would have to confirm BoJo’s suspension in a vote, but should it happen and if a by-election petition is filed, the outgoing prime minister may lose his seat in Parliament.

On July 7, Boris Johnson announced his resignation as the UK's prime minister in the wake of a flood of resignations from his government.

Calls for BoJo’s resignation ensued after it was revealed that a number of social gatherings were hosted at his offices throughout 2020 and 2021, despite strict social distancing rules implemented in the country at the time amid the coronavirus pandemic, with the resulting political scandal being dubbed Partygate.