[Politics] Nadine Dorries and Jacob Rees-Mogg accused of interfering with Partygate probe

[BirSaNN]

Former ministers Nadine Dorries and Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg are among 10 Tories accused of waging a co-ordinated campaign to interfere with a Commons investigation into Boris Johnson.

The ex-PM quit as an MP after a committee found he misled Parliament over Covid breaches at No 10.

In a new report, the committee accused the allies of Mr Johnson of mounting "vociferous attacks" on its work.

But they said the committee was trying to shut down freedom of speech.

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The report suggested attempts to "impugn the integrity of the committee" or "lobby or intimidate" committee members could be a contempt of Parliament.

Punishments can range from being forced to apologise to being suspended. However, this would need to be voted for by MPs.

Former Home Secretary Dame Priti Patel and serving Foreign Office Minister Lord Zac Goldsmith were also among the seven MPs and three peers identified as attacking the committee.

The others were Tory MPs Mark Jenkinson, Sir Michael Fabricant, Brendan Clarke-Smith and Dame Andrea Jenkyns, and peers Lord Cruddas and Lord Greenhalgh.

Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats called for Lord Goldsmith to be sacked as a government minister.

Downing Street said Rishi Sunak had full confidence in Lord Goldsmith.

The prime minister's official spokesman would not say whether Mr Sunak would vote for the report but said MPs would be able to "express their views" and that it would be a free vote - meaning MPs are not told how to vote by their party.

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The report, by the cross-party Privileges Committee, said "unprecedented and co-ordinated pressure" was placed on committee members, which although it did not affect the outcome of the inquiry, raised significant security concerns.

It pointed to "disturbing" comments on social media and TV, which it said amounted to a "co-ordinated campaign to interfere with the work of the committee".

Referencing Ms Dorries's show on TalkTV and Sir Jacob's GB News role, the committee added that two of the individuals mounting "the most vociferous attacks" used their own TV programmes as a platform to do so.

The report highlighted comments made by Ms Dorries on TalkTV, when she described the committee as a "kangaroo court", as well as Sir Jacob calling it "a political committee against Boris Johnson" on GB News.

It also referenced tweets by Mr Jenkinson and Mr Clarke-Smith, who said there had been a "witch hunt" against Mr Johnson.

link: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-66051280