Ian Blackford's Boris Johnson Commons vote speech in full

The SNP’s Westminster leader implored Tory MPs to vote for Boris Johnson to be referred to the privileges committee and to remove him from power.

Because at the very heart of this scandal - there is one thing that needs to be said, one thing that needs to be heard and it’s the very reason that we all need to act.   

And the reason is this. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is a liar. I genuinely don’t say that lightly and I don’t say it loosely.

I honestly believe that it is right that we are slow to use that word.

But I equally believe that it is right that we should never be slow to say it – and to call it out - when it is so, so obviously true.

Because members across this House know it to be true and the public have long since known that it’s true.

And that’s why it needs to be said today and it’s why we all need to act.

Because Mr Speaker, every single day in this chamber, there are motions that come before this House which are complex and nuanced.

And there are usually two sides to an argument and valid reasons from whichever position is proposed.   

But I think we can all safely say that this definitely isn’t one of those debates.

The evidence of the motion speaks for itself.

It is clear as day - if ever there was an open and shut case, this is it.

Last December, the Prime Minister came to this House and denied that there were any parties in 10 Downing Street during the long Covid lockdowns.

Typically and tellingly - he hid behind his staff in saying it.

He told us that he was given firm reassurance that no parties had happened, and that no rules were broken.

Every member of this parliament witnessed it. The public saw it happen with their own eyes. And to this very day, it is still on the record of this House. But now we know the truth.

And that truth contains no ifs, no buts and no maybes.

The House was misled and so were the public – and we were all misled deliberately.

Not only were parties happening, not only was the law broken – the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom was at the very parties he directly denied had even happened.

The truth is simple and it’s this: he lied to avoid getting caught. And once he got caught, he lied again. There is no other way to descript it. And there is no other word for it.

Now Mr Speaker, I can understand that this may be a terrible truth for the government benches to bear.

But it is a truth they need to hear, and it is a truth they need to live with.

And much more importantly – the uncomfortable truth that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is a liar - is exactly why they finally need to act and remove him from office.

Any other Prime Minister – including all of his predecessors as Conservative Prime Ministers - would have been long gone by now.

The benches opposite put him in power.

They have the power to remove him and the public expect them to act.

Mr Speaker,

That we have reached this point – a motion of contempt in a sitting Prime Minister – is shocking but unfortunately it is no surprise.

Because we shouldn’t forget that when they put this Prime Minister into Downing Street nearly three years ago – the Tories knew exactly the kind of person they were putting into the highest office in the land.

They knew his track record and they knew his character.

They knew who he was, they knew what he was – and they still chose him as their leader.

Of everyone in this House, the members opposite knew better than anyone that a trail of scandal and law-breaking was always going to define his time in office.

And in those three short years – unfortunately those who made those predictions haven’t been disappointed.

The sleaze and the scandals have been ten a penny.

• From lying to the Queen to illegally prorogue this Parliament
• Stuffing the House of Lords with Tory Party donors
• VIP lanes for Covid Contracts
• And even dodgy donations to decorate Downing Street.

This is who the Prime Minister is. It is who he has always been.

As Prime Minister - he has done exactly what it said on the tin.

But the real point is this - with every day that passes and every day he stays in power - it is who the entire Conservative party has now become.

It is not just who he is – it who the Tory party now are.

So - if the members opposite vote down this motion – not only are they endorsing all of those scandals and all of that sleaze – they are handing this Prime Minister a blank cheque to do it all over again.

Mr Speaker,

I know you’ll understand that I couldn’t let this motion pass without saving a special word for the spineless Scottish Tories.

Because in fairness, the Scottish Tory Leader is probably the only person in the Conservative Party who finds himself in a deeper hole than the Prime Minister.

In fact, he is so far down that political hole that he obviously found it impossible to dig his way out and make it down to London to vote for his boss tonight.

Now, I know and understand that plenty of people back home are looking forward to giving the Scottish Tories a ‘straight red’ in the council elections in a few weeks.

For most people, it’s very understandable that their main reaction to the flip flopping of the Scottish Tory leader on his support for the Prime Minister is disbelief and a justified anger.

But I have to admit, when I reflect on the position of the Scottish Tory Leader - my real reaction is something that I know he’ll appreciate far, far less. I actually feel sorry for him.

Because he is by no means the first person to have his career ruined by this Prime Minister.

That particular pile of people is a mountain high by this stage.

Because ultimately everybody – and I mean everybody – is eventually thrown under the Boris bus.

As we saw yesterday, not even the Archbishop of Canterbury is safe.

Clearly the days of the Church of England being the Conservative party at prayer are long gone.

The Prime Minister’s party are obviously praying to another god these days – though no doubt even that won’t guarantee their salvation. 

But in all seriousness Mr Speaker, that unjustified attack on the Archbishop gave another toxic insight into the thinking and the methodology of this Prime Minister.

Because his modus operandi is very simple and it’s this.

When he finds himself under political pressure – find someone else to blame - anyone else - just so long as he never takes responsibility himself.

Because nothing and no-one else matters.

The only thing that does matter is that the Prime Minister will stop at nothing to save his own skin.

And that is precisely why the members opposite shouldn’t do their whips bidding and save him today. Think about it.

He wouldn’t even lift his finger to help them – so if they have any self -respect - they need to ask themselves why should they even contemplate walking through the lobbies for him.  

Mr Speaker,

Let me end on this point.

It might surprise members that as a party that is unapologetically seeking out of this very institution and out of this parliament – I actually do care how it acts, how it operates and the values it holds.

And I care deeply for this reason.

Because today’s motion isn’t just about this parliament or about this place. We should all know by now that democracy and decency are under assault the world over.

And if we fail to defend those values in every single institution we are part of - those values will decay and decline.  

It was George Orwell who famously said that “Political chaos is connected with the decay of language”.

And I know that people are deeply fearful about just how real that prophesy has felt in the last few years.

Because when language decays – so too does the truth - and so too does trust in our politics.   

A Prime Minister who can’t be trusted with the truth marks the end of that very dangerous decline.

So, if today is about anything, it has to be about finally ending that decline.

That decline didn’t start with this Prime Minister but it needs to end with him.

Because we should all be very clear too what the consequences are if this House fails to act today.   

If we don’t act – if we don’t say stop – this parliament will be endorsing a new normal in this parliament and across our politics.

A new normal where no-one is held responsible, where no-one is held to account and where no-one ever, ever resigns.

And that is exactly why this motion matters. Because it can – and it will - only ever become a new normal if we all put up with it. 

It only becomes normal if those responsible aren’t held to account and aren’t made to answer for their actions.

So, I would genuinely ask members from across the House and most especially those members opposite.

If they have any interest in maintaining some dignity and decency in public life – they should finally hold this Prime Minister to account for his actions and remove him from office.

They should support this motion, they should summit their letters of no-confidence and they should finally show this Prime Minister the door.