50 signatures reached
To: House of Lords Appointments Commission
No House of Lords for Boris Johnson
Dear Commission,
As the Commission is the body responsible for vetting the suitability of appointments to the House of Lords, the petitioners request that Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, not be appointed to the House, as we believe that he is unfit to receive a peerage.
The Commission is tasked with vetting nominees by scrutinising a nominee's propriety, and describes propriety in this context as meaning:
i) the individual should be in good standing in the community in general and with the public regulatory authorities in particular; and
ii) the past conduct of the nominee would not reasonably be regarded as bringing the House of Lords into disrepute.
We, the petitioners, believe that Mr Johnson's record in public life falls far short of that which might reasonably be considered proper. We provide the following, not exhaustive list, of Mr Johnson's improper behaviour during his time in public life*:
1. When he was sacked for lying about an affair
In 2004 he was sacked as Shadow Arts Minister after aides to leader Michael Howard decided he had lied about an affair.
2. When he called black people 'piccaninnies'
3. When he mocked Muslim women as 'letterboxes'
4. When he propagated the £350m-a-week Brexit lie
He repeatedly used a debunked figure for more than a year and was accused of a “clear misuse of official statistics” by the data watchdog.
5. When he repeatedly ignored conflict-of-interest rules
Boris Johnson broke rules on financial interests three times in less than a year.
6. When he called gay men 'tank-topped bum boys'
7. When he made a glib remark about ‘dead bodies' in Libya
The then-Foreign Secretary was slammed in 2017 for saying the Libyan city of Sirte had a bright future - as soon as they "clear the dead bodies away".
8. When he recited a colonial-era poem in Myanmar
The ambassador, Andrew Patrick, said between gritted teeth "probably not a good idea" and added: "Not appropriate".
9. When he boasted about whisky in a Sikh temple
The Foreign Secretary was berated at a Sikh temple for talking about whisky exports to India – despite alcohol being forbidden in the faith.
10. When he insulted the city of Liverpool over the Hillsborough Disaster
11. When he insulted the country of Papua New Guinea
Boris Johnson apologised to the entire country of Papua New Guinea in 2006 for joking about their "orgies of cannibalism."
12. When he claimed money probing child abuse was 'spaffed up a wall'
The NSPCC said the former Foreign Secretary’s language was “crass.”
13. When he called the French ‘turds’ who ‘shafted Britain’
In June 2019 it was claimed Boris Johnson branded the French "turds" who "shafted Britain" over Brexit.
14. When he compared the EU to Adolf Hitler
During the 2016 EU referendum campaign Boris Johnson compared the EU to Adolf Hitler - saying they both wanted a united Europe.
15. When he allegedly said ‘f*** the families’ of the 7/7 bombings
16. When be branded his £250k-a-year pocket money ‘chicken feed’
17. When he was accused of a major conflict of interest
A string of ethics probes were launched into Boris Johnson in September 2019 after the Sunday Times revealed his friendship with the model-turned-tech entrepreneur Jennifer Arcuri.
18. When he unlawfully shut down Parliament
In September 2019, the Supreme Court ruled he acted unlawfully by shutting down Parliament over Brexit.
19. When he boasted about shaking hands despite the Covid threat
Mr Johnson bragged that he had shaken the hands of everyone at a hospital where Covid patients were being treated.
20. When he ranted about ‘bodies piling high’ and 80-year-olds getting Covid
The PM reportedly declared he would rather "let the bodies pile high in their thousands" than call another lockdown in the autumn of 2020.
21. When lucrative Covid contracts went to Tory allies
22. When he tried to tear up ethics rules
The PM ordered Tory MPs to rip up ethics rules and block a 30-day suspension of Conservative Owen Paterson for lobbying breaches.
23. When he tried to get others to pay for a lavish revamp of his flat
24. When he attended Downing Street parties during lockdown
Mr Johnson was issued a fixed penalty notice by police over a BYOB bash in the No 10 garden in May 2020, during Covid lockdown.
25. When he appointed Christopher Pincher to deputy chief whip
Despite having been told about a number of sexual assault complaints against Mr Pincher, Mr Johnson appointed Mr Pincher to the position of deputy chief whip.
*The majority of this text has been taken from investigations by the Mirror Online. The article can be found here: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/boris-johnsons-50-lies-gaffes-26013022
In summary, we, the petitioners, ask that the details of this petition be considered by current and future members of the Commission, and that Mr Johnson never be appointed to the House of Lords.
As the Commission is the body responsible for vetting the suitability of appointments to the House of Lords, the petitioners request that Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, not be appointed to the House, as we believe that he is unfit to receive a peerage.
The Commission is tasked with vetting nominees by scrutinising a nominee's propriety, and describes propriety in this context as meaning:
i) the individual should be in good standing in the community in general and with the public regulatory authorities in particular; and
ii) the past conduct of the nominee would not reasonably be regarded as bringing the House of Lords into disrepute.
We, the petitioners, believe that Mr Johnson's record in public life falls far short of that which might reasonably be considered proper. We provide the following, not exhaustive list, of Mr Johnson's improper behaviour during his time in public life*:
1. When he was sacked for lying about an affair
In 2004 he was sacked as Shadow Arts Minister after aides to leader Michael Howard decided he had lied about an affair.
2. When he called black people 'piccaninnies'
3. When he mocked Muslim women as 'letterboxes'
4. When he propagated the £350m-a-week Brexit lie
He repeatedly used a debunked figure for more than a year and was accused of a “clear misuse of official statistics” by the data watchdog.
5. When he repeatedly ignored conflict-of-interest rules
Boris Johnson broke rules on financial interests three times in less than a year.
6. When he called gay men 'tank-topped bum boys'
7. When he made a glib remark about ‘dead bodies' in Libya
The then-Foreign Secretary was slammed in 2017 for saying the Libyan city of Sirte had a bright future - as soon as they "clear the dead bodies away".
8. When he recited a colonial-era poem in Myanmar
The ambassador, Andrew Patrick, said between gritted teeth "probably not a good idea" and added: "Not appropriate".
9. When he boasted about whisky in a Sikh temple
The Foreign Secretary was berated at a Sikh temple for talking about whisky exports to India – despite alcohol being forbidden in the faith.
10. When he insulted the city of Liverpool over the Hillsborough Disaster
11. When he insulted the country of Papua New Guinea
Boris Johnson apologised to the entire country of Papua New Guinea in 2006 for joking about their "orgies of cannibalism."
12. When he claimed money probing child abuse was 'spaffed up a wall'
The NSPCC said the former Foreign Secretary’s language was “crass.”
13. When he called the French ‘turds’ who ‘shafted Britain’
In June 2019 it was claimed Boris Johnson branded the French "turds" who "shafted Britain" over Brexit.
14. When he compared the EU to Adolf Hitler
During the 2016 EU referendum campaign Boris Johnson compared the EU to Adolf Hitler - saying they both wanted a united Europe.
15. When he allegedly said ‘f*** the families’ of the 7/7 bombings
16. When be branded his £250k-a-year pocket money ‘chicken feed’
17. When he was accused of a major conflict of interest
A string of ethics probes were launched into Boris Johnson in September 2019 after the Sunday Times revealed his friendship with the model-turned-tech entrepreneur Jennifer Arcuri.
18. When he unlawfully shut down Parliament
In September 2019, the Supreme Court ruled he acted unlawfully by shutting down Parliament over Brexit.
19. When he boasted about shaking hands despite the Covid threat
Mr Johnson bragged that he had shaken the hands of everyone at a hospital where Covid patients were being treated.
20. When he ranted about ‘bodies piling high’ and 80-year-olds getting Covid
The PM reportedly declared he would rather "let the bodies pile high in their thousands" than call another lockdown in the autumn of 2020.
21. When lucrative Covid contracts went to Tory allies
22. When he tried to tear up ethics rules
The PM ordered Tory MPs to rip up ethics rules and block a 30-day suspension of Conservative Owen Paterson for lobbying breaches.
23. When he tried to get others to pay for a lavish revamp of his flat
24. When he attended Downing Street parties during lockdown
Mr Johnson was issued a fixed penalty notice by police over a BYOB bash in the No 10 garden in May 2020, during Covid lockdown.
25. When he appointed Christopher Pincher to deputy chief whip
Despite having been told about a number of sexual assault complaints against Mr Pincher, Mr Johnson appointed Mr Pincher to the position of deputy chief whip.
*The majority of this text has been taken from investigations by the Mirror Online. The article can be found here: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/boris-johnsons-50-lies-gaffes-26013022
In summary, we, the petitioners, ask that the details of this petition be considered by current and future members of the Commission, and that Mr Johnson never be appointed to the House of Lords.
Why is this important?
If Boris Johnson is appointed to the House of Lords, despite a catalogue of improper behaviour, it will bring that institution into disrepute.
