Chris Mason: Boris Johnson's political future and reputation on trial

Boris Johnson's estimation is connected trial. His governmental aboriginal is connected proceedings too.

Not successful a tribunal of law. But, alternatively similar a tribunal of law, successful beforehand of his peers.

In this instance, the justice and assemblage are his chap MPs, exploring a constrictive question successful narration to each those partygate revelations.

Did helium knowingly mislead parliament astir them? Parliament's Privileges Committee volition inquire him astir it connected Wednesday afternoon, successful beforehand of the cameras.

It's apt to past possibly 2 to 3 hours. At the bosom of their scrutiny are 3 words:

Inadvertent. Reckless. Intentional.

Attach the connection "misleading" to these 3 words and we get to the crux of each this. The grade to which helium was misleading and the intent.

The committee acknowledges that astir 100 times a twelvemonth ministers extremity up saying worldly successful parliament that turns retired to beryllium inadvertently misleading and they travel backmost and close things.

So the existent crunch constituent successful each this is whether the committee establishes and concludes that helium was reckless, oregon the much serious, but alternatively hard to beryllium lawsuit that helium intentionally misled MPs.

Some of Mr Johnson's allies deliberation the lawsuit of recklessness has been introduced due to the fact that the committee won't beryllium capable to beryllium intent.

Since the autumn the erstwhile premier curate has had a ineligible squad of astir 5 radical moving connected his case. Among them Lord Pannick KC, Jason Pobjoy and solicitors.

They person compiled a papers of astir 50 pages, successful Mr Johnson's sanction but assembled with the proposal of his lawyers, that was submitted to the committee connected Monday afternoon. It volition beryllium published by the committee connected Tuesday.

I recognize it volition incorporate what his squad volition reason amounts to grounds that helium did not knowingly mislead parliament.

Instead, they volition assertion helium shared astatine the clip with MPs what helium was told by his advisers was an close representation of what was known astir what had gone on.

Critics volition — and already person - argued that this couldn't perchance beryllium the lawsuit fixed helium had really attended immoderate of the gatherings we aboriginal learnt about.

So the signifier is acceptable for Wednesday afternoon. Seven MPs. Four Conservatives. Two Labour, including the chair, Harriet Harman. And 1 from the SNP.

Like immoderate prime committee, the questioning volition statesman from the chair, and past each MP volition instrumentality it successful turns to inquire their acceptable of questions. The committee has been gathering this week to disagreement up who volition inquire what and successful what order.

So could this extremity Mr Johnson's governmental career? Well, it mightiness not. But it could.

It's worthy saying plentifulness of Conservative MPs think, hope, it is arsenic bully arsenic implicit already. Others imagination of governmental reincarnation.

If the committee were to urge a suspension from the Commons of 10 oregon much days, and MPs endorsed this, helium would look what is known arsenic a "recall petition" successful his constituency, which could pb to a by election.

There are a batch of coulds and caveats earlier that point.

Once Mr Johnson is done connected Wednesday, the committee volition person to determine if it wants to speech to anyone other (I'm told that's unlikely) oregon hear, via written testimony, from anyone else. That's possible.

And past they'll constitute up and people their findings. That, I'm told, volition decidedly beryllium earlier the summer, but astir apt aft Easter. And immoderate suggested authorisation volition past beryllium voted connected by MPs.

The communicative of Boris Johnson is acold from over.