THREE north Essex MPs abstained from a key vote over a report which found former Prime Minister Boris Johnson had lied to Parliament.


MPs voted overwhelmingly to accept a Privileges Committee report which found Mr Johnson had deliberately misled Parliament about parties which took place at 10 Downing Street during the pandemic.


Colchester MP Will Quince and Witham MP Priti Patel both abstained from the vote, as did Clacton MP Giles Watling.


Sir Bernard Jenkin, the MP for Harwich and North Essex who sat on the Commons Privileges Committee investigating whether Mr Johnson misled Parliament, voted in favour of backing the report’s findings.


In all, 225 MPs abstained on the vote, with 354 MPs voting to support the findings of the report, and seven voting against.


Although Mr Johnson is no longer an MP - a by-election for his seat Uxbridge and South Ruislip will take place next month - the conclusion that Mr Johnson deliberately misled Parliament means he may not be given a Parliamentary pass.


The final report ran to 106 pages after an investigation which lasted a year.