Boris Johnson’s suggested punishment for repeatedly lying to MPs was too harsh, according to a senior cabinet minister.
Work and pensions secretary Mel Stride said he felt “quite uncomfortable” with the theoretical 90-day suspension handed down to the former prime minister, who had already quit as an MP.
He said that was why he chose not to join 118 Tory MPs – including eight cabinet ministers – in voting in favour of the privileges committee’s report into Johnson’s conduct.
Like his close ally Rishi Sunak, Stride stayed away from parliament for last night’s vote, which saw the Commons vote by 354-7 backing the committee’s findings.
Although the 90-day suspension cannot be imposed, Johnson has been stripped of his parliamentary pass.
On Times Radio this morning, Stride said that while he believed Johnson’s actions merited a suspension “north of 10” days, the committee had gone too far.
He said: “This now sets precedent for what may happen in future cases where it will be benchmarked against the particular circumstances here and this 90 day suspension. And I just think that is so far out there that that left me rather uncomfortable.”
The minister added: “I would never have voted against the report, I was left quite uneasy with the extent of the sanction that was brought forward.
“Now to have ended up in a position where there was a 90-day suspension, that being nine times that very high threshold, left me feeling quite uncomfortable about that aspect of it.
“So on that basis, I took that decision [to abstain], but I think the committee conducted itself with absolute integrity. I totally accept its findings in terms of wrongdoing.”
Stride also defended Sunak’s decision to abstain, which has seen the PM come in for severe criticism.
Speaking yesterday morning, the prime minister repeatedly refused to say what he thought of the report, insisting he “wouldn’t want to influence” any MPs on how to vote.
Meanwhile, his official spokesman said he was too busy with other engagements, including hosting the prime minister of Sweden, to attend parliament.
Sunak is set to come under further pressure to explain why he did not take part in the vote.