Boris Johnson accused of 'parroting conspiracy theories of violent fascists'

Keir Starmer accused the Prime Minister of repeating the conspiracy theories of “violent fascists” after Boris Johnson claimed that the Labour leader had allowed Jimmy Savile to evade justice. 

However, the Tory leader repeated the allegations saying his opposite number had already taken "full responsibility" for the failure to prosecute the prolific sex offender.

The claim has provoked anger with victims of the paedophile broadcaster calling on Johnson to withdraw the remarks. Senior backbench Tory Tobias Ellwood today became the latest MP to call for Johnson to resign, saying he had lost confidence in the Prime Minister partly because of the comments.

The accusation was made on Monday when Johnson told the Commons that Starmer, when he was head of the Crown Prosecution Service, “spent most of his time prosecuting journalists and failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile, as far as I can make out.”

The Labour leader was the director of prosecutions when in 2009 four allegations of sexual assault by Savile in the 1970s were not brought to court. However, he wasn’t the reviewing lawyer, so wasn’t involved in the decision. 

After the extent of Savile’s crimes emerged in the year after his death, Stamer ordered an investigation into the Crown’s handling of the allegation, and subsequently criticised both police and prosecutors. He also apologised for “shortcomings in the part played by the CPS in these cases” and said he hoped it would be a “watershed moment” for the handling of such complaints.

At the start of Prime Minister’s Questions, Starmer started by addressing Tory MPs: “I just want to say to the members opposite, theirs is the party of Winston Churchill, our parties stood together as we defeated fascism in Europe. Now their leader stands in the House of Commons parroting the conspiracy theories of violent fascists to try and stop cheap political points. He knows exactly what he is doing. It's time to restore some dignity.”

Replying, Johnson said he didn’t want “to make heavy weather of this” but “I recall in 2013 the Right Honourable Gentleman apologised and took full responsibility for what happened on his watch and I think that was the right thing to do.”

Earlier, Michael Gove defended Johnson’s comments saying the Prime Minister had nothing to apologise for. He told Sky News: “I think this is a uniquely sensitive issue and it does need to be handled with care, and I listen with enormous respect to those who act for victims of the actions of a terrible, terrible criminal.

“But – and it’s not a subject that I want to dwell on because it is uniquely sensitive – it is the case that the CPS apologised for the handling of this case and what happened in 2009, and I think we should acknowledge that an apology was given at the time and respect that.”

He added: “Keir Starmer acknowledged that mistakes had been made by the organisation of which he was head, to his credit. He was very clear about those mistakes.”

Richard Scorer, the head of abuse and public inquiries at the law firm Slater and Gordon, said Johnson had weaponised the suffering of Savile’s victims.

He said: "As one of the lawyers who represented many of Savile's victims, I can confirm that these allegations against Sir Keir Starmer are completely unfounded and unjustified.

"Sir Keir did more than any other director of public prosecutions to advance the rights of victims.

"No DPP can control every decision. The Crown Prosecution Service was much better under his leadership.

"Weaponising their suffering to get out of a political hole is disgraceful."

Elsewhere during the session, the Prime Minister was pushed on the so-called Winner Takes It All party held in Downing Street on 13 November 2020. 

Johnson has previously told MPs in the Commons that no event took place in his flat on the day. However, the limited report into the partygate scandal by senior civil servant Sue Gray revealed that police are probing the get together on the day after his former advisor Dominic Cummings was forced out of No 10.

According to reports, Johnson was seen heading up to his flat. Cummings last night claimed that there are photos from the party and that the Abba tunes were loud enough to be heard throughout the building.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said the Prime Minister had “previously told the House that no party took place”. 

He added: “The police are now investigating this party and we face a real prospect of a sitting Prime Minister being questioned under caution and being fined in office. And if he is questioned, he must go. If he's fined, he must resign. 

“We all agree that the House should not be treated with contempt. So can the Prime Minister update the House on his whereabouts on the evening of the 13th of November? Surely, he doesn't need to wait for the investigation to tell us exactly where he was.”

Johnson said Blackford had already asked the same question just days before. There was, he added, a process to be followed.