Post by account_disabled on Mar 11, 2024 21:42:12 GMT -6
Democratically elected governments need to be transparent with their citizens and parliaments or national assemblies. The rules on transparency will differ according to national laws and traditions. In a parliamentary democracy such as the UK system, the Government is held to account by Parliament on behalf of the public. To ensure that such accountability is meaningful, Ministers must be as open as possible about their policies and decision-making and must not mislead Parliament. On February 15, 2021, FIDE Foundation published an article entitled "Scott Inquiry into exports to Iraq”. The author argued that the judge's (Lord Scott) findings in his report in 1996 that the UK Government had persistently misled the UK Parliament and the consequential undermining of accountability were still relevant issues in 2021. The question whether, in 2021-22, the UK Parliament was misled by the UK Prime Minister is now important to his prospects of remaining in office. Criminal and other investigations into the conduct of the UK Prime Minister The background to this supplementary article is that London's Metropolitan Police are investigating several allegations of misconduct resulting from parties at No 10 Downing Street during periods of lockdown imposed to protect the public during the pandemic. If the allegations are true, they may amount to criminal breaches of the Covid lockdown rules as they existed in England from time to time.
On 1 December 2021, in response to a national newspaper's allegations of breaches of lockdown rules in Downing Street, Mr Johnson said in Parliament: “what I can tell the right hon and learned gentleman is that all guidance was followed completely in No 10…” Yet, five months later, Mr Johnson was fined for his own breach of the rules. It is thought that he is still under investigation for other such breaches. There has also been a police investigation into the conduct of those who work in the Prime Minister's Office. Fines have been imposed on the Prime Minister's wife, on the Chancellor of the Exchequer Phone Number List and on Downing Street staff. As at 12 May 2022, over 100 fines have been issued by he had personally led public briefings throughout the pandemic, responding to questions about the Government's policy on restrictions and on how they were meant to operate. Interestingly, at the Scott Inquiry, ministers took export licensing decisions themselves and therefore had personal knowledge of the applicable guidelines on defense exports and of the intelligence assessments of the use to which the exports would be put once exported to Iraq. This is an instructive parallel. The question of resignation will have a heavy bearing on the outcome. The majority of members of the Committee are Conservatives.
Will they, if they think that the evidence justifies it, have the political courage to decide that their own leader has knowingly misled Parliament? Mr Johnson has not shown any sign that he will resign if he has knowingly misled Parliament. Nor did any ministers resign in the wake of the Scott Inquiry. Sir Keir Starmer QC, the leader of the Opposition, is being investigated for a single breach of the Covid lockdown rules. He has publicly said that, if found by Durham Police, he would resign. Integrity lies at the heart of the democratic process. Starmer has shown his willingness to act with integrity. Will the UK Prime Minister do the same? the police in respect of parties at 10 Downing Street. In addition to the police investigation, the Government commissioned a top civil servant, Sue Gray, to investigate its alleged misconduct by her. The Government has decided not to publish her report pending the outcome of the police investigations. But her published update of her on her findings [1] is a damning indication of lack of leadership in the Prime Minister's office.
On 1 December 2021, in response to a national newspaper's allegations of breaches of lockdown rules in Downing Street, Mr Johnson said in Parliament: “what I can tell the right hon and learned gentleman is that all guidance was followed completely in No 10…” Yet, five months later, Mr Johnson was fined for his own breach of the rules. It is thought that he is still under investigation for other such breaches. There has also been a police investigation into the conduct of those who work in the Prime Minister's Office. Fines have been imposed on the Prime Minister's wife, on the Chancellor of the Exchequer Phone Number List and on Downing Street staff. As at 12 May 2022, over 100 fines have been issued by he had personally led public briefings throughout the pandemic, responding to questions about the Government's policy on restrictions and on how they were meant to operate. Interestingly, at the Scott Inquiry, ministers took export licensing decisions themselves and therefore had personal knowledge of the applicable guidelines on defense exports and of the intelligence assessments of the use to which the exports would be put once exported to Iraq. This is an instructive parallel. The question of resignation will have a heavy bearing on the outcome. The majority of members of the Committee are Conservatives.
Will they, if they think that the evidence justifies it, have the political courage to decide that their own leader has knowingly misled Parliament? Mr Johnson has not shown any sign that he will resign if he has knowingly misled Parliament. Nor did any ministers resign in the wake of the Scott Inquiry. Sir Keir Starmer QC, the leader of the Opposition, is being investigated for a single breach of the Covid lockdown rules. He has publicly said that, if found by Durham Police, he would resign. Integrity lies at the heart of the democratic process. Starmer has shown his willingness to act with integrity. Will the UK Prime Minister do the same? the police in respect of parties at 10 Downing Street. In addition to the police investigation, the Government commissioned a top civil servant, Sue Gray, to investigate its alleged misconduct by her. The Government has decided not to publish her report pending the outcome of the police investigations. But her published update of her on her findings [1] is a damning indication of lack of leadership in the Prime Minister's office.
