Boris Johnson, top contender to replace Theresa May, ordered to court for allegedly lying about Brexit

(Image credit: Peter Summers / Getty Images)

published 29 May 2019

A judge has ordered Boris Johnson, who has been seen as the top contender to replace Theresa May as British Prime Minister, to appear in court and face allegations he lied about Brexit.

Johnson, former U.K. foreign secretary, has been accused of misleading the public by falsely claiming that it cost Britain £350 million per week to maintain membership in the European Union ahead of the 2016 Brexit vote, CNN reports. This claim was made while Johnson was campaigning for Britain to leave the European Union, and it appeared on a campaign bus.

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The Westminster Magistrate's Court judge said that the allegations against Johnson have not been proven but decided that "this is a proper case to issue the summons," meaning Johnson has been ordered to court for a preliminary hearing before the case can be sent to trial. Johnson's lawyers have dismissed the application as a stunt, NBC News reports, also saying that "none of the acts" that have been alleged took place "in the course of Mr. Johnson's direct parliamentary or mayoral duties" but instead during "the course of political campaigning."

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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