Heather last night voted against the motion of the House of Commons Privileges Committee report on Mr Boris Johnson.
Heather says:
“I have taken the difficult decision not to follow convention and to vote against the motion. I voted against the Committee of Privileges motion concerning Mr Boris Johnson for various reasons including the fact I feel the 90 days suspension from Parliament and removal of the Parliamentary Pass is excessive and plainly too much.
“This motion relates to our Prime Minister who led the Country though some of the most unprecedented times in our living memory, nearly died and, I am sure was doing his very best in extremely difficult times.
“I understand the Privileges Committee considers that Boris Johnson, when Prime Minister, knowingly lied to Parliament. This is actually the test for me, did Boris knowingly lie. The police after a full investigation into what went on at No10 fined Boris for one event – the famous birthday cake. An event that at the time those involved believed was within the law.
“Boris was not found to have broken the law elsewhere although a number of other people working in Number 10 Downing Street were fined for other parties – which Boris was not found to be at. I can readily believe that given the position of the No 10 flat, five floors up, Boris might not have been able to hear the other events. 10 Downing Street is a big place. Therefore, when he stated that the law had not been broken in No 10 I can believe that Boris was as far as he knew telling the truth and was not lying to the House.
“I really understand how upset some people are, given the many sacrifices people made over the various lockdowns; I could not see my elderly parents; I have friends and colleagues who did not see their relatives before they died. I still do not believe that this victimising of Boris in the Privileges Committee report is the way to honour those sacrifices. On reading the report, I believe the Privileges Committee have taken this too far.”
