How Hampshire MPs voted on the Boris Johnson Privileges Committee report

Conservative Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt and Labour’s Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan were among the 354 votes in favour, as MPs endorsed sanctions against Mr Johnson recommended by the Privileges Committee, including banning him from having a pass to access parliament, which is usually available to former MPs. The result was announced in the chamber as 354 to seven, majority 347.

Other MPs from Hampshire who supported the motion included Flick Drummond (Meon Valley), Damian Hinds (East Hampshire), Steve Brine (Winchester), Julian Lewis (New Forest East), Caroline Nokes (Romsey and Southampton North) and Bob Seely (Isle of Wight). Fareham Suella Braverman and Havant Alan Mak appeared not to vote on the matter.

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The Tory-majority panel also concluded that Mr Johnson should have faced a 90-day suspension for misleading the House when he told the Commons that Covid rules were obeyed in No 10 despite parties taking place.

Mr Sunak was accused of ‘a cowardly cop-out’ for refusing to take part in the vote, but had insisted he did not want to ‘influence’ how MPs might vote. Mr Johnson was censured in his absence, having quit as an MP and labelled the inquiry a ‘kangaroo court’ after being told in advance of its findings.

Branding him the first former prime minister to have lied to the Commons, the Privileges Committee found Mr Johnson committed ‘repeated contempts’ of parliament by deliberately misleading MPs over lockdown-busting parties before being complicit in a campaign of abuse and intimidation.

The ex-premier had urged his allies not to oppose the report, arguing that the sanctions had no practical effect, although critics said it was a move designed to avoid revealing the low level of remaining support for him among Tory MPs.

Conservative MPs were given a free vote, with 118 backing the report and the majority opting to stay away, including the prime minister.

Cabinet ministers who supported the motion included justice secretary Alex Chalk, education secretary and Chichester MP Gillian Keegan, science secretary Chloe Smith, Welsh secretary David TC Davies and Commons leader Ms Mordaunt. Government chief whip Simon Hart also supported it.

The seven who voted against it included senior backbencher Sir Bill Cash and Nick Fletcher, who during the earlier debate urged MPs to remember Mr Johnson was “human” and that he ‘nearly died’ during the pandemic.

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