UK Conservative lawmaker accuses government of intimidation, blackmail

FILE PHOTO: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson attends the weekly Prime Minister's Questions at the parliament in London, Britain, January 12, 2022. UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/Handout via REUTERS

LONDON (Reuters) - A senior Conservative lawmaker accused the British government on Thursday of intimidating and attempting to "blackmail" those lawmakers they suspect of wanting to force Prime Minister Boris Johnson out of power.

William Wragg, chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee which oversees constitutional issues and standards, has called for Johnson to resign after a series of scandals, including the prime minister's attendance at a COVID-19 lockdown-breaking party at Downing Street.