Boris Johnson seen for first time since Partygate defence dossier published
Boris Johnson’s political future hangs in the balance as he appears before a committee of MPs investigating whether he lied to the House of Commons over the Partygate scandal.
After swearing on a bible, Mr Johnson told the Privileges Committee “hand on heart I did not lie to the House”. He soon launched into attempts to discredit the committee, attacking chair Harriet Harman as “prejudical” and suggesting the investigation was “extremely peculiar”.
The former prime minister must answer claims from one-time aides and No 10 insiders which sit uncomfortably alongside his defence that he was told Covid rules were fully observed at Downing Street parties during lockdown.
Ahead of the hearing, the committee published evidence including claims from Simon Case, Mr Johnson’s cabinet secretary, that he never told Mr Johnson Covid rules were followed. Jack Doyle, then-comms chief, said the same.
Mr Johnson insists there was “no evidence” he intentionally misled parliament, and his statements on Partygate were made in “good faith”.
If the committee MPs find against him, they will decide a punishment, which could be a written apology, docking of salary or suspension from the Commons for a specific period.
Watch live: Boris Johnson in Partygate committee hearing
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Boris Johnson continues attack on Partygate committee
Boris Johnson said “much of this interrogation is theoretically irrelevant, but I’m going to take that in my stride”.
He said he wants to help the committee understand why he said the comments to Parliament under investigation and “whether I deliberately set out to deceive”.
“I empathically did not,” he adds.
Boris Johnson goes on the attack against ‘prejudical’ Partygate committee
Boris Johnson has attacked the Privileges Committee over what he claims is a prejudical approach to the investigation.
“Everybody knows there are some features of this proceeding which are extremely peculiar,” he said.
He also said committee chair Harriet Harman’s previous comments “prejudge” the outcome. “You have said some things about this matter before reading the evidence … which prejudge what you are adjudicating,” he said.
Boris Johnson drags Rishi Sunak into Partygate evidence
Boris Johnson has dragged Rishi Sunak into his evidence to the Partygate hearing.
He listed the prime minister among several high ranking officials and civil servants who attended gatherings in Downing Street.
He said: “If it was obvious to me that these events were contrary to the guidance and the rules, then it must have been equally obvious to dozens of others, including the most senior officials in the country, all of them – like me – responsible for drawing up the rules.
“And it must have been obvious to others in the building including the current prime minister.”
He went on: “I don’t think you seriously mean to accuse those individuals of lying, and I don’t think you can seriously mean to accuse me of lying.”
Boris Johnson back before Partygate hearing
Boris Johnson has returned to the Privileges Committee hearing after a call to vote briefly interrupted proceedings.
Photographs prove nothing, says Boris Johnson
In critical comments to the committee, Boris Johnson said the MPs had suggested in their reports that photos from Downing Street parties means he was aware of rule-breaking.
He said this was “nonsense”.
“These photos have now been churned through the media for more than a year, and it seems to be the view of the committee and sadly, many members of the public that they show me attending rule-breaking parties when no one was social distancing. They show nothing of the kind. They show me giving a few words of thanks at a work event for a departing colleague.”
He said he is aware the public “will have had the impression that these were covered photos with their sinister pixelation that have been obtained by the media”.
He said the vast majority were in fact taken by the official Number 10 photographer, so to say they would have held illicit events in Downing Street while “allowing these events to be immortalised by an official photographer is staggeringly implausible”.
One of the Partygate photos seen time and time again in coverage
” height=”929″ width=”1389″ layout=”responsive” class=”i-amphtml-layout-responsive i-amphtml-layout-size-defined” i-amphtml-layout=”responsive”> One of the Partygate photos seen time and time again in coverage
Partygate: Johnson shown supercut of times he told parliament he followed the rules
Before Boris Johnson’s statement to the hearing began, he was shown a video of his Partygate related comments to the Commons.
‘Hand on heart’ I didn’t lie, says Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson told the committee: “I’m here to say to you, hand on heart, that I did not lie to the House. When those statements were they made in good faith and on the basis of what I honestly knew and believed at the time.”
The ex-PM said the committee had “found nothing to show that I was warned in advance that events in No 10 were illegal”, adding: “In fact, nothing that anyone raised anxieties with me about any event, whether before or after it had taken place.”
Mr Johnson claimed his former adviser Dominic Cummings – who has claimed he told the then-PM that a May 2020 garden party would breach rules – had “every motive to lie”.
Mr Johnson also called the committee “investigator, prosecutor, judge and jury” and claimed that it was “manifestly unfair” the committee refused to publish evidence on which his defence relies on.
Break for vote in Commons
The Privileges Committee has paused for a break while MPs vote on Rishi Sunak’s new Brexit deal.
Boris Johnson earlier said he would vote against his successor’s aggreement with the EU, which hinges on new arrangements for Northern Ireland regulations.
The committee will reconvene in around 15 minutes.
Boris Johnson swears on bible ahead of Partygate evidence
Boris Johnson swore on a bible that he would tell the truth in the Privileges Committee hearing over whether he knowingly misled parliament.
The Clerk to the Committee (left) administers the oath to Johnson
” height=”627″ width=”836″ layout=”responsive” class=”i-amphtml-layout-responsive i-amphtml-layout-size-defined” i-amphtml-layout=”responsive”> The Clerk to the Committee (left) administers the oath to Johnson
