Boris Johnson 'could still return to politics' despite resignation over Partygate inquiry

Former prime minister has stepped as a member of parliament, calling inquiry a 'kangaroo court'

Former British prime minister Boris Johnson resigned as an MP on Friday. Press Association

Britain's former prime minister Boris Johnson could still make a return to politics despite a dramatic 24 hours that culminated in him stepping down as an MP.

Mr Johnson resigned on Friday after seeing an advanced copy of a report by a parliamentary committee into the Partygate scandal, which had been investigating whether he misled the House of Commons.

It also came only hours after his long-awaited resignation honours list was published, which revealed he had handed out rewards to some of those involved in the Partygate scandal, including more than 40 honours and peerages for his closest allies at the time.

Despite him issuing a 1,000-word scathing statement attacking the committee calling it a "kangaroo court", Mr Johnson's allies still believe his political career is far from over.

Will Walden, who previously worked as a spokesman for Mr Johnson, said his former employer had “seen the writing on the wall” ahead of the report's release and by stepping down had avoided the humiliation of being kicked out.

"There is no plan but he is preparing himself for what might be next without the humiliation of being kicked out," he told the BBC's Today programme.

"But it is so Boris. He told the committee that if they found against him, he wouldn't respect the outcome - and so it has proved, there is no great surprise here.

“By going, as he has, all guns blazing, he is able to avoid defeat, he is able to blame pretty much everyone else, including it seems anyone that voted Remain in 2016.

"I think the most important thing that people need to understand this morning is there is only one thing driving Boris and that is that he likes to win, or at least not to lose."

Mr Johnson has accused the seven-person panel, which is chaired by veteran Labour MP Harriet Harman but has a Conservative majority, of being on a “witch hunt” and argued it was attempting to use its investigation to “drive me out of Parliament”.

The committee has been investigating whether Mr Johnson lied to the Commons when he said that Covid rules were followed in Downing Street following reports that lockdown-busting parties were held during the pandemic.

The committee was reportedly preparing to recommend a 10-day suspension from the Commons, a conclusion which would have resulted in a recall petition among his constituents and a potential by-election in his west London constituency if more than 10% voted for one.

Conservative MP Sir John Redwood believes this will not be the end of Mr Johnson's career.

Speaking to Radio 4’s The World Tonight programme, he said that he thought it was "very worrying that such an important figure in the UK's political life felt hounded out like this”.

“He has made it very clear that he doesn’t regard this as the end of his involvement in British politics," he said.

“I can understand why he has made this decision as he has been uniquely pressurised ever since he first became leader."

Former home secretary Priti Patel has called him a "political titan".

“Boris Johnson has served our country and his constituency with distinction. He led world in supporting Ukraine, got Brexit done, and was our most electorally successful prime minister since Margaret Thatcher. Boris is a political titan whose legacy will stand the test of time," she said.

In his resignation statement, Mr Johnson said he was “bewildered and appalled” at being “forced out, anti-democratically” by a probe that he claimed had set out from the beginning to “find me guilty, regardless of the facts”.

"I am not alone in thinking that there is a witch hunt under way, to take revenge for Brexit and ultimately to reverse the 2016 referendum result," he said.

“My removal is the necessary first step, and I believe there has been a concerted attempt to bring it about.”

Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, branded it “absolute rubbish” for Mr Johnson to claim the committee’s partygate inquiry had not been fairly conducted.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, she said the committee was “highly respected” and pointed to it having a Conservative majority.