Opposition parties push for probe into Boris Johnson’s conduct following viral video

The letter, organised by the Green MP Caroline Lucas, has been signed by parliamentary party leaders including Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party), Sir Ed Davey (Liberal Democrats), Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru), Colum Eastwood (SDLP) and Stephen Farry (Alliance).

Labour declined an invitation to sign saying it does not normally collaborate on initiatives launched by other parties.

It comes after a lawyer’s viral video documenting claims made by Boris Johnson in parliament has surpassed 10 million views on social media.

In August last year, Peter Stefanovic developed and uploaded a two-minute video in which he fact-checked several claims made by Johnson since he became prime minister.

These included the government’s record on emissions reductions, economic growth, nurses’ bursaries, hospital car parking, NHS spending, the Covid-19 track and trace app, and poverty in the UK.

Lucas cited the clip as inspiration for her letter.

“It’s hard to recall any prime minister who has treated parliament with the contempt that this one does,” she said.

“There is a normalisation of lying to the house which is deeply dangerous, especially coming from an increasingly authoritarian government which is looking at every means to avoid accountability.”

In their letter, the six MPs express their “deep concern” that the prime minister’s repeated failure to be truthful is damaging the reputation of the Commons.

They go on: “This is not a question of occasional inaccuracies or a misleading use of figures: it is a consistent failure to be honest with the facts, or to correct wrong information at the earliest opportunity when misleading information is given. This, we believe, amounts to a contempt of the house.”