MPs get vote on investigating whether PM misled Parliament

LONDON, April 19 (Reuters)-  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will face a vote later this week on whether he should be investigated over claims he misled parliament by repeatedly insisting that he did not breach the COVID-19 regulations.

Johnson was fined by the police last week for attending a birthday party thrown in his honour in June 2020 when people from different households were not allowed to meet indoors.

Opponents have called for Johnson to resign, accusing him of misleading parliament after he told lawmakers last year that all rules were followed in Downing Street - the prime minister’s official residence and workplace - during the pandemic.

Lindsay Hoyle, the House of Commons Speaker, granted opposition parties’ request for a vote on Thursday on whether to refer Johnson to the privileges committee for an inquiry.

Britain’s Northern Ireland minister Brandon Lewis played down claims that the prime minister had misled parliament and suggested that the fine he paid was similar to ministers who have previously received parking fines.