Chope will replace Laura Farris, who announced in the summer that she was leaving the body that investigates complaints about the behavior of MPs. The nomination will have to go through the Commons in order to be appointed to the privileges committee. Normally, voting is done as a “nod or nothing” – meaning that if there was a dissenting voice, it would fall. Chope’s appointment is likely to prove controversial given his history of blocking laws, including attempts to outlaw “excess”. One source said he was well versed in parliamentary procedure. Chope also served for two years on the benefits committee from October 2017 to November 2019. The government did not respond to a request for comment. Jess Phillips, the shadow minister for domestic violence and protection, told the Guardian: “Chris Chope is not a man I would rely on to be on the standards committee. He tried to derail legislation that would have criminalized taking pictures up women’s skirts. Why would anyone think it was appropriate? “Frankly, the Conservatives’ attempt to force him into the committee shows that no matter who their leader is, they will always rely on their mates to steer them away from living up to the standards the country would expect. The same old Tories.” Chope’s appointment would be one of the latest acts by the Johnson administration, which has rallied against the inquiry over its repeated denials that any rules were broken during the lockdown. Several of Johnson’s allies have called the investigation a “witch hunt.” The prime minister also recently used taxpayers’ money to commission legal advice costing £130,000 which discredited the privilege committee. The Partygate inquiry will not explore the extent of the rule-breaking, which has already been looked into by the Metropolitan police, which issued more than 100 fines, including to Johnson himself, and senior civil servant Sue Gray. The seven-member commission, which has a Tory majority but is chaired by Labour’s Harriet Harman, is expected to investigate whether Johnson misled parliament by denying that any Covid laws had been broken. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The investigation began after the MPs passed a proposal in April. The committee can recommend punishment for those it finds have broken Commons rules, including ordering a written apology, suspension or expulsion. However, for the sanction to be imposed, the MPs must vote for it. The committee has pledged to continue investigating Johnson after he leaves Downing Street on Tuesday. The evidence the committee has sought so far includes WhatsApp messages, photographs and diary entries.
