DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Now Boris is facing a kangaroo court

DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Now Boris is facing a kangaroo court

Not satisfied with Boris Johnson’s humiliating Downing Street demise, his enemies in Westminster won’t rest until they’ve completely destroyed him.

Deranged Remainers furious at him for delivering Brexit, the Left who fear his vote-winning success, ministerial has-beens and backbench nobodies… their thirst for revenge is unslakeable.

How else to explain the Commons inquiry into Partygate becoming a witch hunt?

In what is clearly a politically motivated stitch-up to humble the beleaguered Prime Minister further, the privileges committee has shifted the goalposts mid-game.

Why? To make it easier for him to be punished – and kicked out of Parliament.

Not satisfied with Boris Johnson’s humiliating Downing Street demise, his enemies in Westminster won’t rest until they’ve completely destroyed him

Taking a sledgehammer to parliamentary convention, the committee says Mr Johnson can be censured for unintentionally misleading the Commons. Typically, the bar is set higher – deliberately lying.

If such skulduggery took place in a banana republic, Labour’s Harriet Harman would scream blue murder. Because she loathes the PM, however, she’s more than happy to preside over this kangaroo court.

She’s already pronounced him guilty in a series of provocative tweets. By heading this investigation, she’s now judge, jury and executioner. This is unacceptable.

Similarly unacceptable is Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle muscling in on the act of making the rules up as they go along.

By giving the privileges committee the power to make it easier for Mr Johnson to face a by-election, he stands accused of straying from scrupulous impartiality.

This is all grim news for Mr Johnson. He’s already admitted inadvertently misleading the Commons over his knowledge of lockdown-busting parties in No 10.

That was after he received a police fine (for, preposterously, receiving a birthday cake between meetings which never left its Tupperware box). He apologised and corrected the record. That should be case closed. Mr Johnson’s foes, though, are desperate to dance on his grave.

But let’s keep a sense of perspective. If misleading Parliament unwittingly was a hanging offence, every PM (not to mention Leader of the Opposition) would be guilty many times over. Look no further than slippery Tony Blair and his illegal war.

Given Mr Johnson is already stepping down, this case is patently absurd. Our narcissistic political class seem to have no idea that their incessant and increasingly unhinged plotting and scheming are viewed with revulsion by the rational public.

Conservative leadership hopeful Rishi Sunak campaigns with activists yesterday, July 22

Spoil votes, get Sunak

The Daily Mail has enormous sympathy with the thousands of Tory members who believe Mr Johnson’s name should be included on the leadership ballot.

Having overwhelmingly backed him in 2019, they’re furious he’s been ousted by parliamentary pygmies with axes to grind.

Unfortunately, the rules exclude him from standing. And – as we argue forcefully above – it would be undemocratic to change them during the contest.

But we urge his supporters to think twice before spoiling their ballots in protest.

That can only help Rishi Sunak reach No 10 – the very man they blame for running the rapier into Mr Johnson’s back.

End the care cruelty

It is the height of cruelty for care home bosses to use revoked Covid restrictions to prevent families seeing elderly residents.

Government guidance says visits should largely be unimpeded. Yet many managers are defying the order. The result is that, starved of the human touch, the health of some of our most vulnerable disintegrates.

Care homes shouldn’t be reckless, of course, but the worst of the crisis is over. If they won’t end this unacceptable lottery voluntarily, ministers must step in.

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