Constituents of Tory MPs on the ‘witch-hunt’ committee probing Boris Johnson called on them to resign last night.
Conservative Party members and voters have chastised Sir Bernard Jenkin, Alberto Costa, and Andy Carter for continuing to serve on the Commons privileges committee.
Tory supporters in Sir Bernard’s Harwich and North Essex constituency questioned his impartiality yesterday. Mr Johnson had already “paid a price” for Partygate, according to Kevin Bentley, leader of the Conservative-controlled Essex County Council, and the merits of additional probe were “doubtful.” ‘A major part of me feels he’s gone, and we should address the country’s difficulties – the expense of living, the cost of petrol, fuel poverty, and inflation,’ he added.
Sir Bernard, according to fellow Conservative Association member Peter Chillingworth, would do a “decent job” but was not “completely autonomous.”
People were ‘taking so many digs at Boris,’ said Bill Liquorish, a councillor on Harborough District Council in Mr Costa’s South Leicestershire area.
When asked whether his MP should continue on the committee, he said, ‘Not especially, no, that’s not proper.’
Laura Farris, a Conservative MP, resigned down from the cross-party group informally yesterday.
Jackie Moore, 62, of Mr Carter’s Warrington South district, said: ‘They should leave him [Mr Johnson] alone. It’s basically like a witch hunt.’
Even if Mr Johnson did not willfully mislead the Commons about lockdown-busting meetings, he may be held in contempt and dismissed as an MP.
Ms Farris resigned from the cross-party committee, which includes Labour and SNP MPs, informally last month.
However, the three remaining Conservative MPs on the committee have so far declined to follow suit.