Boris Johnson resigns as UK MP, says 'forced out' of Parliament

London, June 10 Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has stepped down as a Tory MP after claiming that he was "forced out of Parliament" over Partygate.

The former Prime Minister saw in advance a report by the Commons Privileges Committee investigating if he misled the Commons over Downing Street lockdown parties, the BBC reported.

Johnson said that he was "bewildered and appalled" after receiving a letter from the from a House of Commons committee, CNN reported.

His resignation now triggers a by-election in his marginal seat.

The Privileges Committee said that Johnson had called into question the integrity of the House of Commons, the British news broadcaster reported.

The MP-led committee - which has a majority of Conservative MPs - said it would conclude its inquiry on Monday and "publish its report promptly".

In his resignation statement issued on Friday, Johnson described the committee as a "kangaroo court" whose purpose "from the beginning has been to find me guilty, regardless of the facts".

Johnson previously admitted misleading Parliament when he gave evidence to the committee in a combative hearing in March - but denied doing it on purpose.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor