Boris Johnson has announced that he will leave the House of Commons immediately, in a dramatic move that will lead to a by-election that the Conservative Party could lose and increase pressure on Rishi Sunak.
The former British prime minister said in a statement on Friday that he would step down as an MP in protest at the “Kangaroo Court” Privileges Committee, which is investigating whether he lied to MPs about closing down parties in Downing Street.
It came hours after Number 10 published Johnson’s resignation honors list, in which he rewarded allies with peers and other gongs, and days after he passed the Privileges Committee’s draft findings on his conduct.
He hinted that he intended to return to the House of Commons, announcing that he was leaving Parliament “for the time being”.
Johnson also said there was a “witch-hunt going on” in his Conservative party “to avenge Brexit and ultimately to reverse the outcome of the 2016 referendum”.
This is a developing story
Additional reporting by Peter Wells in New York