Watch live as Boris Johnson faces Keir Starmer at PMQs as Covid restriction rumours swirl
Boris Johnson has ordered an investigation into claims Downing Street staff broke lockdown rules by holding a Christmas party last year – but doubled down on his claim that no such gathering took place.
The prime minister apologised “unreservedly” for the offence caused by leaked footage showing senior Downing Street staff joking about holding a Christmas party.
But Mr Johnson insisted that he had been repeatedly assured that “there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken”.
He said he had asked Cabinet Secretary Simon Case “to establish all the facts and to report back as soon as possible – and it goes without saying that if those rules were broken then there will be disciplinary action for all those involved”.
In the video obtained by ITV News, Boris Johnson’s then spokesperson Allegra Stratton joked that the party was “was not socially distanced” and suggested passing it off as “a business meeting”.
Boris Johnson should quit if he misled parliament about party, Scots Tory leader says
Boris Johnson should resign if he misled parliament about an illegal Christmas party at Downing Street, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives has said.
Speaking on Wednesday Douglas Ross said that there was “clearly” a party “of some kind”.
He told reporters: “If he knew about the party this time last year or at any point up until he was asked about it in the House of Commons and still said he knew nothing about it and I wasn’t a party, that’s a serious allegations – and I don’t support anyone deliberately misleading parliament, so I’m not going to protect anyone for that.”
Here is the full story:
Peers question legality of migrant boat ‘pushback’ tactics
The legality of Priti Patel’s plans to turn back migrant boats at sea has been called into question by peers, including senior lawyers and a former judge.
The Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee has written to the home secretary, expressing “concerns” over the legal basis for the so-called pushbacks.
The letter adds to “growing concern both in and outside parliament” over the policy proposed in a bid to curb Channel crossings, peers said.
The committee’s Liberal Democrat chairwoman, Baroness Hamwee, a former solicitor, said: “Statements, including from the Home Secretary, are that there is a legal basis for the policy of so-called ‘turnarounds’. We question that.
“The so-called ‘turnaround’ policy would force fragile small boats crossing the Channel to turn back. It is hard to imagine a situation in which those in them would not be in increased danger or where captains would not be obliged to render assistance.
“Instead, the Home Secretary has set a policy of forcing them to turn around. Even if there is a domestic legal basis, if it were actually implemented, it would almost certainly contravene the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“Policing borders should be done in full accordance with the principles of national and international law, and we look forward to full engagement with our questions.”
Ruth Davidson: PM’s response to ‘indefensible’ No 10 party ‘was pathetic’
Ruth Davidson has described Boris Johnson’s defence of a Covid lockdown party in No 10 last year as “pathetic”.
Speaking after Prime Minister’s Questions, the former Tory leader in Scotland “none of this is remotely defensible”.
She added: “Not having busy, boozy not-parties while others were sticking to the rules, unable to visit ill or dying loved ones.
“Nor flat-out denying things that are easily provable. Not taking the public for fools.
“And today’s “we’ll investigate what we’ve spent a week saying didn’t happen and discipline staff for rules we continue to say weren’t broken’ was pathetic.
As a Tory, I was brought up to believe in playing with a straight bat. Believe me, colleagues are furious at this, too.”
Tory MP accuses PM of ‘diversionary tactic’ over Covid Plan B measures
Conservative MP William Wragg accused Boris Johnson of “diversionary tactics” by using Covid rules to deflect attention away from the Christmas party controversy.
The PM and senior ministers today expected to agree on the introduction of tighter ‘plan B’ Covid restrictions at an emergency meeting.
The backbencher, a leading lockdown sceptic, asked Mr Johnson about the possibility of Covid passports with plan B – and said “very few will be convinced by this diversionary tactic”.
Mr Johnson responded: “No decisions will be taken without consulting the cabinet.”
Boris Johnson reveals UK diplomatic boycott of Winter Olympics in Beijing
Boris Johnson has said there will “effectively be a diplomatic boycott” of the Winter Olympics in Beijing – revealing no UK ministers or officials will be attending the games.
My colleague Adam Forrest has more details below:
Watch: Ian Blackford calls for Boris Johnson’s resignation calling it ‘a moment of moral reckoning’
Sturgeon urges PM to ‘come clean’ over Christmas party
Scotland’s first minister has urged the prime minister to “come clean” over the reported party held at Downing Street last year.
“The prime minister appears to be not being straight and truthful about it,” Nicola Sturgeon told the BBC.
“That really matters because he is likely to be asking people to do difficult things again over this Christmas and it’s really important that he’s straight and honest with people – if mistakes were made, to own them, to apologise for them.”
She added: “I think this is a really serious issue for the prime minister and I think he has to come clean.”
Watch: ‘They’re laughing at us’: Tom Bradby slams No 10 staff joking about Christmas party
PM facing questions over further parties at No 10
Dominic Cummings has alleged there were further parties being held at No 10 over the period in question last winter.
Labour MP Catherine West used PMQs to ask whether there was a Downing Street party on 13 November.
Mr Johnson replied: “Mr Speaker, no, but I’m sure that whatever happened the guidance was followed at all times”.
Rumours of plan B a ‘diversionary tactic’, says Tory MP
Tory MP William Wragg has suggested rumours of a move towards Plan B, meaning stricter Covid rules, may be a “diversionary tactic”.
Ministers are said to be considering calling for people to work from home and implementing vaccine passports.
Speaking against the a tightening of the rules on showing proof of vaccination, the Conservative backbencher suggested Boris Johnson may be attempting to distract from the furore by announcing new measures.
