LABOUR MP Chris Bryant will recuse himself as chair of the Committee of Privileges if a motion passes which would allow the body to investigate if Boris Johnson misled parliament over partygate.

The Prime Minister is facing a crunch vote in the House of Commons on Thursday after opposition leaders tabled a motion calling for the PM to be referred to the committee so it can “consider whether the honorable Member’s conduct amounts to a contempt of the House”.

Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has given the green light for MPs to debate and vote on whether the PM misled parliament in previous statements about rule-breaking in Number 10.

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Johnson has repeatedly argued Covid guidance had been followed at all times and has denied misleading MPs.

And now, Bryant has said that he will recuse himself as chair of the parliamentary body if the matter is referred to it - after Jacob Rees-Mogg hinted that his position would be biased if any investigation was to take placec.

Rees-Mogg told the BBC: "The privileges committee is a distinguished body of the House of Commons but it's chaired by a Labour Party politician, I'd bear that in mind."

The National: Rees-Mogg had previously suggested Bryant charing the committee would bias the investigationRees-Mogg had previously suggested Bryant charing the committee would bias the investigation

The committee is chaired by Bryant but four of its seven members are Tories.

In a letter to the committee shared on Twitter, the Labour MP said: “I understand that some Honourable and Right Honourable Members have questioned whether I should chair such an inquiry into the Prime Minister, given that I have made several statements in the media on this matter.

“I am certain that if the House were to refer this matter to the Committee, all of us would be entirely diligent in setting aside our personal feelings and allegiances and discharging our duty to protect the reputation of the House without fear or favour.”

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Bryant added that he would do everything in his power to ensure the inquiry would be “fair, consensual and evidence based”.

He continued: “However, it is also important that the House be seen to proceed fairly without any imputation of unfairness and that the whole House have confidence in the Committee of Privilege’s proceedings.

The National: Bryant has said he will recuse himself if the PM is referred to the committee he chairs for investigationBryant has said he will recuse himself if the PM is referred to the committee he chairs for investigation

“I have therefore decided that if the motion to refer is carried tomorrow I will recuse myself from any consideration of the matter, just as Sir Bernard Jenkins recused himself from the Stanards Committee inquiry on Owen Paterson.”

The Labour MP added that he will still chair both the Committee of Privileges and Committee of Standards for “all our other business”.

“But it will be up to the committee to decide who should chair proceedings on this inquiry and how it should proceed.”

It comes as the full motion lodged by the opposition was published.

If Johnson is referred to the committee, it’s possible that the Sue Gray report, which was substantially redacted due to the Met investigation, could be released in full.