An independent expert panel chaired by Naomi Ellenbogen QC have unanimously cleared Boris Johnson of any wrongdoing for his Telegraph column which infamously criticised Denmark’s Burka ban over the summer. An extraordinary row ensued, egged on by the left of the Conservative party who called for Boris to be disciplined as a result of his resoundingly liberal column, which argued that the Burka can be criticised without the need for the sort of government ban that many continental European countries have imposed.

The expert panel found him “respectful and tolerant” and defended his writing style saying he had a right to use satire to make his point. It firther stated that censorship was “unwise” and that It said that the Conservative Party’s Code of Conduct did not “override an individual’s right to freedom of expression”. Polls at the time show the public agree, with a clear majority saying Boris should not be disciplined…

A friend of the former two term Mayor of London told Guido that it is “welcome news that Boris has rightly been cleared” and the panel’s ruling “completely supported what Boris said from the very beginning” that “his article did foster respect and tolerance for the wearing of the burka.” The friend added that Party Chairman Brandon Lewis should “do the honourable thing and apologise to Boris with the same zeal he shamelessly used to smear his name during the summer.” Punchy…