'It's literally straight out of Donald Trump’s playbook': Tory Peer says Boris only has himself to blame for resignation
9 June 2023, 22:29
Tory Peer Lord Gavin Barwell on Boris Johnson 'tragedy'
Conservative Peer, Lord Gavin Barwell, says Boris Johnson has fled from his role as MP without seeking the opinion of his constituency and suggests his resignation statement was similar to Trumpian rhetoric.
He told LBC’s Lewis Goodall: “I think there’s a certain symmetry that this has happened in the same week that Donald Trump is indicted.
“The statement that he issued is literally straight out of Donald Trump’s playbook. There’s zero contrition there at all, a load of conspiracy theories, and an aversion to the truth.
“The privileges committee can’t kick Boris Johnson out of Parliament. The worst they can do is recommend a suspension which would trigger a recall petition.
“AKA if voters in Uxbridge wanted there to be a by-election they could force a by-election – but he could stand in that by-election.
“So if he believes he’s innocent, if he believes he’s in a kangaroo court and a witch-hunt, then he should take his case to the people of Uxbridge.”
He went on: "He was in a position after the 2019 election with a large majority to do real good with this country and what’s happened to him is not because of some conspiracy against him.
"It’s down entirely to the way he has behaved while prime minister.”
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Boris Johnson's resignation came just hours after Tory MP and former culture secretary announced she would be resigning with "immediate effect".
Lewis Goodall went on to ask the Tory peer: “We saw Nadine Dorries unexpectedly resign from Mid Bedfordshire. Is there a possibility that Johnson could go for her seat instead?”
He replied: “I don’t think the Conservative Party should allow that to happen. To use this report as an opportunity to kick and run to a safer seat. I don’t think that’s the right way to go about this at all.
“If he believes that, he says in his statement ‘very passionately’, that he has been wronged and he’s innocent and the charges against him were unfair then he should go to the people of Uxbridge.
“Take his case to them in a by-election and respect their verdict. That’s democracy.”
