Deputy prime minister Dominic Raab has denied that Boris Johnson deliberately misled parliament over the Partygate scandal – saying he had been telling the truth “to the best of his ability”.
The prime minister told the Commons in December that “all guidance was followed completely”, but the Metropolitan Police handed out 20 fines over law-breaking events held during the Covid pandemic.
“I don’t think there was an intention to mislead,” Mr Raab told Times Radio on Mr Johnson’s previous remarks.
The cabinet minister also told BBC Breakfast: “To jump from that to say he deliberately misled parliament rather than answering to the best of his ability I’m afraid is just not right.”
Mr Raab said Mr Johnson had been “updating parliament to the best of his knowledge and understanding” before suggesting he may have said things that “turned out not to be true”.
He added: “But I think it’s rather different to say he lied – to suggest he was deliberately misleading parliament.”
Asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme if he accepted Mr Johnson had said things that were not true, Mr Rabb said: “Yes, look it’s clear that … his understanding of events which he spoke to best of his ability.”
Challenged on whether Mr Johnson knew he had been at social gathering at the time he made his remarks, given the photo of the PM relaxing with staff in the No 10 garden, Mr Raab told the BBC Breakfast: “You’re conflating all sorts of things.”
He added: “The PM has not, to date, been issued with a fixed penalty notice. You’re asserting he was at parties in relation to photos which I don’t think demonstrated that.”
Asked about what Mr Johnson’s understanding was of “events he was at”, Mr Raab told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Let’s not conflate things. You’re talking about 20 fixed penalty notices. It’s quite right to say we weren’t aware of those infractions at the time.”
Mr Raab refused to say whether Mr Johnson would have to step down if he was issued with a fixed penalty notice. “I am not going to comment on hypothetical questions or speculate on an ongoing police investigation,” he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain.
Mr Raab also said the “caricature” of boozy parties at No 10 and Whitehall offices during the Covid period was wrong – though he did accept Covid laws had been broken.
No 10 said on Tuesday that Mr Johnson did not formally accepted that the law had been broken despite the 20 fixed-penalty notices issued by Scotland Yard.
Asked on Sky News if the issuing of a fixed penalty notice meant the law had been broken, Mr Raab said: “Yes, inevitably fixed penalty notices (are issued to) those that have breached the regulations.”
Home Office minister Kit Malthouse leaves the Park Plaza Hotel (Yui Mok/PA)
Mr Johnson will face MPs following the police conclusion that coronavirus laws were broken at the heart of his government – likely to endure a difficult session of PMQs before a further grilling from senior MPs at the Liaison Committee.
Mr Johnson and his allies had an indication of ongoing public anger about the situation at a party for Conservative MPs in London on Tuesday night, where bereaved relatives of Covid victims heckled senior Tories.
Shouts of “Shame on you” and “Off to another party are we?” were directed at cabinet ministers Michael Gove and Jacob Rees-Mogg as they turned up to the venue.
Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said there may still come a “day of reckoning” regard to the Partygate scandal, but not at this moment in time.
Mr Bridgen, who has withdrawn the letter of no confidence submitted to the Tory 1922 Committee, said he would back Mr Johnson if there was a vote on his future “otherwise we’d be playing into the hands of Mr Putin”.
The public may never know who in government is issued with a fixed-penalty notice (FPN), as Scotland Yard said they would remain anonymous – although Downing Street has promised to confirm if Mr Johnson or cabinet secretary Simon Case are fined.
But Mr Raab suggested any ministers would have to be named if fined. Asked if any other minister will disclose a fixed penalty notice if they receive one, Mr Raab said: “I think that’s inevitably the case, yes.”
Asked if the top civil servants should be named, given the huge public interest in the case, Mr Raab said: “I don’t think you should have double standards from the normal rules that apply.”
“The Metropolitan Police do not publish the identities of people subject to fixed penalty notices,” the justice secretary told the Today programme.
Former chief whip Mark Harper suggested law-breaking civil servants or special advisers would have to be sacked. In a tweet, the Tory MP posted a screenshot of the Civil Service Code, highlighting a passage saying they must “comply with the law”.
