Sir Bill Cash MP in call to scrap probe that could see Boris Johnson booted out of Commons
Sir Bill Cash is spearheading a parliamentary campaign to call off an inquiry and save Boris Johnson from facing further sanctions over 'partygate'.
The Stone MP has put forward a motion calling for the scrapping of a privileges committee inquiry into whether the PM knowingly misled parliament over the scandal.
He said the probe had been rendered "unnecessary" by Mr Johnson's resignation as Prime Minister and should be "discontinued".
Mr Johnson is due to be summoned by a panel of seven MPs in the autumn to give evidence relating to his knowledge of staff gatherings that took place in Downing Street during lockdown.
He initially told the Commons that no rules had been broken, but corrected the record following the publication of the Sue Gray report, which detailed lockdown breaches at events in Number 10.
The motion Sir Bill has put forward is backed by MPs including former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith.
It notes that Mr Johnson's government was backed by a confidence vote in July and that the PM has "stated his intention to resign" by September 6.
It expresses "concern with the publication of the report" and says there has been a "divergence from the established convention".
It adds that the resolution to investigate the matter was "now unnecessary and should be rescinded, and that the proceedings of the Committee of Privileges on this matter be discontinued".
If Mr Johnson is found to have been in contempt he could be removed as an MP.
A spokesperson for the committee said: "The report from the Committee of Privileges and the Clerk of the Journals’ paper sets out the background on the matter of contempt compiled by the House’s most senior advisers on procedure and law, taking full account of precedent.
"The paper includes all relevant quotations from Erskine May, the authoritative book on parliamentary law and practice. There has been no change in the rules.
"The report is also in line with advice from distinguished former Appeals Court Judge Sir Ernest Ryder."
Questions have been raised over the committee's impartiality, after chair Harriet Harman (Labour) tweeted that Mr Johnson had admitted misleading the Commons by accepting a 'partygate' fine.
