‘Focus on future’ not Boris Johnson, says PM

The Prime Minister has faced accusations of being too “weak” to stand up to his former party leader after missing Monday’s Commons vote on the Privileges Committee report.

Mr Sunak has also not said whether he agrees with the highly critical report by the cross-party committee, which was backed by MPs this week.

Speaking to the media in Kent on Thursday, he said: “I have enormous respect for the Privileges Committee, support the Privileges Committee and indeed respect the vote of the House that we had on Monday regarding Boris Johnson.

“But what I’d also say is that I’m not focused on the past. I want to look forward. Boris Johnson is no longer a member of parliament.

“It’s right that people, whoever they are, whatever position they hold, face the results of their actions, that are held accountable for their actions. That’s happened. He’s no longer a member of parliament.

“We’ve got to focus on the future.”

Mr Sunak, who blamed a diary clash for his absence on Monday, appeared to defend his own personal integrity and pointed to his decision last year to dramatically quit Mr Johnson’s Government.

“I wasn’t there to vote because I was at a charity dinner,” he said.

“But I am someone who took a very difficult decision a while ago to resign from Boris Johnson’s government.

“It’s not an easy thing to do to resign as being Chancellor. That’s kind of a big deal. I did that because, as I said at the time, I disagreed with his approach to government.

“So that tells you that I’m prepared to act according to my values and the standards that I want to see, and that wasn’t happening.

“I said I didn’t agree with the approach. I said that in my resignation letter, and that’s why I resigned.”

Much of the Government payroll did not take part in the vote but some Cabinet ministers including Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk chose to support it.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who was among those not in the chamber on Monday, said he had seen the vote as something of a “moot point” given Mr Johnson was no longer an MP.

It comes Ms Mordaunt earlier said that kicking Mr Johnson off the Privy Council would not be “an appropriate course of action”, as the threshold for that is “much higher”.

Liberal Democrat Wera Hobhouse (Bath) had told the Commons the former PM’s actions were not “right” or “honourable”, as she raised concerns about institutional integrity.

She urged Ms Mordaunt, in her role as Lord President of the Privy Council, to make a statement on whether she would recommend stripping Mr Johnson of his membership to the body.

The Privy Council is a body of senior advisers to the monarch, and its members can be called “right honourable” due to their positions in government or their contributions to public service.

Ms Mordaunt also defended MPs who abstained or voted against the committee’s findings, countering claims that they were “cowards” and emphasizing their “honourable” service to the country.