Tory MP who called on Boris Johnson to quit joins panel probing Partygate
- Charles Walker said he would ‘applaud’ Boris Johnson for stepping down
- He will be voted on to the group investigating whether the PM lied to the House
- A senior Tory MP and Johnson ally said yesterday that they were not happy
A Tory MP who called for the resignation of Boris Johnson five months before he quit as PM will today be appointed to the Partygate inquiry.
Charles Walker had said in February that he would ‘applaud’ Mr Johnson for stepping down to ‘help heal the country’s anger’.
But he will today be voted on to the group investigating whether the former PM lied when he said no Covid rules were broken in No 10. Mr Johnson was later fined by the Met Police over a ‘birthday party’ in the Cabinet Room, one of 125 fines handed out to 83 individuals.
Charles Walker (pictured) had said in February that he would ‘applaud’ Mr Johnson for stepping down to ‘help heal the country’s anger’
The appointment of Sir Charles, the fourth Tory member of the seven-strong committee, will add to the barrage of attacks over its perceived bias.
A senior Tory MP and Johnson ally said yesterday: ‘I’m not happy. He has a history of being opposed to Boris, he’s over-emotional and rather erratic.’
But Sir Charles, a former vice-chairman of the backbench 1922 committee, insisted: ‘I’m entirely relaxed about my position. If people want to suggest I’m biased against Boris, biased for Boris – people can say what they like.
‘The great advantage I have over most candidates is that I’m leaving at the next election. I’m really beyond their reach.’
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