‘It’s a kangaroo court, it’s as simple as that’: Fareham Borough Council leader backs Boris Johnson over partygate

The privileges committee of MPs found the former prime minister committed five offences relating to his actions surrounding Partygate.

These include deliberately misleading parliament and the committee, breaching confidence, impugning the committee and being complicit in a campaign of abuse against the committee.

NOW READ: Local councillors accuse Hampshire County Council of 'washing their hands' over traveller sites

Mr Johnson unexpectedly stood down as an MP last week after seeing the committee’s findings – he would have faced a 90-day suspension if he remained as an MP.

However, councillor Sean Woodward, leader of Fareham Borough Council said the report and recent headlines ‘all looked very bitter’.

‘He’s made mistakes along the way, we all have at various times,’ he said.

‘I did watch the entirety of the hearing and just the body language of the people concerned, it’s nothing to do with the party, they had it in for him it was very clear.

‘I’m not surprised he’s done what he’s done, I’m not surprised he’s reacted in the way that he has.’

When asked whether he accepts the privileges committee’s findings he said ‘No, of course I don’t’.

‘It’s a kangaroo court, it’s as simple as that,’ he added.

‘The whole atmosphere has been created by parliament – the atmosphere of somebody doing something and immediately everyone is holier than thou.

‘I’ve been a very long critic of our government’s response to the pandemic.

‘I used to get dozens of messages from people every day asking me “Can I do this? Can I do that?”

SEE ALSO: Hilsea Industrial Estate plans given backing despite the impact on 'severely congested' surrounding roads

‘Nobody could understand it and I’m sure the Prime Minister couldn’t either or all the people around him. The whole thing was an absolute shambles.

‘I would dismiss it – I’ve been on the wrong end of kangaroo courts, I know exactly what it’s like.

‘At the end of the day, he is the biggest vote winner that the Conservative party has had almost within living memory.

‘In the same way that Margaret Thatcher was done in, Boris Johnson has been done in by the national Conservative party.’