Exclusive:Boris Johnson: former PM could face partygate suspension and by-election if he tries to come back as MP

Parliamentary precedent could thwart Boris Johnson’s comeback as an MP and mean he may immediately face the threat of a by-election over partygate, Commons sources have told NationalWorld.

Tory MPs have begun to call for the return of the former Prime Minister as they face a 1997-type landslide defeat and dire polls. Andrew Griffith became the first minister to support a comeback saying “Boris is a great voice”, while the Daily Express reported that Johnson is mulling over a return to frontline politics. 

However, NationalWorld can reveal this would be almost impossible as an MP despite the 59-year-old resigning before the partygate suspension could be handed down. The Privileges Committee found that Johnson had deliberately misled Parliament over No10 parties during Covid, and recommended that he be suspended for 90 days. It said Johnson was “disingenuous” and lied to the Commons over the array of boozy bashes going on in Downing Street during the pandemic.

Suspensions of more than 10 sitting days, or 14 days overall, trigger a recall petition, which can lead to a by-election if more than 10% of registered eligible voters sign it. This occurred with the elections to replace Chris Pincher and Peter Bone.

The former Prime Minister resigned before MPs could vote to approve the Privileges Committee’s recommendations, however they later backed the report by 354 votes to seven, which also stated he should lose his Parliamentary access pass. Commons sources have told NationalWorld that should Johnson return as an MP there is a precedent for reimposing the suspension, despite the former PM’s rapid resignation.

In 2019, not long before the December election, Labour MP Keith Vaz was suspended for six months, the only suspension longer than Johnson’s, after it was revealed he had paid male prostitutes for sex and offered to buy them cocaine. The Commissioner for Standards, Kathryn Stone, said Vaz "shows disregard for the law and that, in turn, is disrespectful to the House and fellow Members, who collectively are responsible for making those laws”.

With Parliament about to be dissolved and the possibility that Vaz could be reelected, the Standards Committee Chair at the time, Kate Green, said that if Vaz was returned as an MP, the House of Commons should be invited to reimpose the unserved part of his suspension.

Green explained: “I and my Committee appreciate that constitutionally, no Parliament can bind the actions of the next Parliament but our view … is that should the right hon gentleman [Vaz] be returned to the House at the forthcoming election, we urge the incoming Parliament and the new Leader of the House to pass a resolution as quickly as possible to ensure that the full period of the proposed sanction is served.”

While Vaz did not end up contesting his seat, it is understood that this would be the process should Johnson return as an MP. He would then face a recall petition and a potential by-election, although he could still stand in this. The Liberal Democrats have said that should the disgraced former Prime Minister get reelected they would support such a motion.

The Lib Dems’ Shadow Leader of the House Wera Hobhouse told NationalWorld: “Boris Johnson trampled all over the rules he set for the country whilst people could not be with loved ones as they passed away and then lied about it.

"These shameful actions have proven himself completely unfit to be an MP. Any Leader of the House put in this position must put forward a motion to apply this suspension. To not do so would be an insult to all those who lost so much over those pandemic years and as a nation shared in a collective trauma."

While Labour said it would not comment on speculation, a source told NationalWorld that a Johnson comeback is “fantasy politics from the Tories, putting party before country, more interested in saving their own skins than dealing with the huge problems facing the country they’ve created”.

While the campaign group Best for Britain said: “Whether through his callous and ineffectual leadership during the pandemic, or the unnecessary hardship and economic challenges created by his botched Brexit deal, Boris Johnson’s short stint in Number 10  was catastrophic for this country.

“Britain doesn't need more of the same from a man or a government which repeatedly puts themselves before the national interest. We need a general election now.”

Over the weekend, the Express reported that Johnson’s spokesman “ruled nothing in or out” about a comeback. The Telegraph reported that he hoped for a personal call from Rishi Sunak, whose resignation as Chancellor forced Johnson out of No10, if he wanted help campaigning during a general election.

David Campbell Bannerman, chairman of the grassroots Conservative Democratic Organisation, admitted “there are some challenges in getting him back”. He told Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine: “It would be good for the Conservatives, it would be good for Rishi, if he does come back. He’s very popular in the red wall, he created the red wall.

“I think he would be a huge asset. But he’s not an MP so there are some practical issues. Do you bring him back as a Lord? Do you put him back on the list [of parliamentary candidates]? He’s not even on the list at the moment.”

Ralph Blackburn is NationalWorld’s politics editor based in Westminster, where he gets special access to Parliament, MPs and government briefings. If you liked this article you can follow Ralph on X (Twitter) here and sign up to his free weekly newsletter Politics Uncovered, which brings you the latest analysis and gossip from Westminster every Sunday morning.