‘Pay your own bills’: Hull MP Karl Turner blasts public funding of Boris Johnson’s legal costs in Partygate probe
UNDER OATH: Boris Johnson giving evidence to the Privileges Committee in March
By Simon Bristow
Hull MP Karl Turner has tabled an Early Day Motion criticising the public funding of Boris Johnson’s legal bill in the ‘Partygate’ inquiry.
Former PM Johnson is being investigated by Parliament’s Privileges Committee over allegations he misled MPs over law-breaking lockdown parties in Downing Street during the Covid pandemic.
Johnson, who was called to give evidence to the committee in March, was one of a number of people given a fixed-penalty notice for attending an unlawful gathering. Current PM Rishi Sunak was among the others.
The committee was tasked with establishing whether Johnson misled MPs over his knowledge of the parties, and if he did so whether this was intentional or reckless.
The outcome of the inquiry – which could determine Johnson’s political future – may be known within weeks with a draft report possibly being finalised by the end of May.
‘THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE’: Karl Turner MP
But there has been growing concern about Johnson being able to fund his legal support from the public purse, with the bill now thought to be approaching £250,000. Reports suggest Johnson has privately earned £5m since being removed from office last summer.
Mr Turner, the Hull East Labour MP, said: “The British tax payer should not be stumping up the £250,000 to pay for Boris Johnson’s legal bill for allegedly lying to Parliament over the parties he was having in Downing Street when the country was in lockdown. The Tory Government took legal aid away from people for legal disputes such as housing law, education, employment advice and other matters.
“Legal aid for ordinary working people isn’t granted if the person is earning more than £12,750 per annum, yet Boris Johnson expects legal aid when he earned a reported £5 million since he was kicked out of office by his Ministers. Boris Johnson should pay his own legal bills and not rely on hard working people to contribute, especially during a cost of living crisis caused by the Tory Government.”
Mr Turner’s motion states that “the Treasury did not sign off this funding; considers that it is unacceptable that taxpayers are being forced to foot the bill”, calls on the Government to ensure taxpayers’ money is not used for such purposes in the future, and “urges the Rt Hon. Member to pay his own legal fees”.
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