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Theresa May has urged MPs to consider their constituents during a debate on the Partygate report by the Privileges Committee which found that Boris Johnson misled Parliament over rule-breaking parties at Downing Street during Covid-19 lockdowns.Many Tory MPs were not in the House of Commons during a free vote and debate on the report’s findings on Monday, 19 June.The former prime minister told her colleagues in the house that they are leaders in their communities and their jobs come with responsibility – and that it is important to punish MPs that break the rules. More

Michael Gove has apologised in response to new footage showing Tory staff joking at their lockdown Christmas party that they were ‘bending the rules’.At least 24 people are thought to have been at the party at the Conservative Party HQ at the end of 2020.”It’s terrible…the fact this party went ahead is indefensible”, he told Sky’s Sophy Ridge, adding those who were involved had been ‘disciplined’.The attendees were allegedly the staffers responsible for assisting with Shaun Bailey’s mayoral campaign.”I just want to apologise to everyone really”, he added. More

The Partygate report “is in danger of making the House of Commons look foolish,” Jacob Rees-Mogg has suggested.Speaking to GB News, the Tory MP also suggested Boris Johnson’s 90-day sanction was “completely otiose” and that stripping the former prime minister of his parliamentary pass will upset him “enormously”.“If you look back at the history of parliament, parliament sometimes makes a great mistake when it tries to stand on its dignity,” Mr Rees-Mogg said.“This report is in danger of making the House of Commons look foolish.” More

Liz Truss resigned as prime minister “because the lettuce was better than her”, Labour MP Jess Phillips has said.Speaking about the controversy around Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list, the shadow minister took a passing shot at his successor.“We forget this all the time, Boris Johnson resigned because he covered up for Chris Pincher, and Liz Truss resigned because the lettuce was better than her,” Ms Phillips said, referencing the infamous Daily Star live stream of the iceberg lettuce that outlasted her.“They left in disgrace for crashing the economy, and Partygate, and all the rest of it.” More

Boris Johnson told the House of Commons that “all guidance was followed completely” at Number 10 during the coronavirus pandemic during a session of Prime Minister’s Questions in December 2021.The former prime minister will reportedly be found on Wednesday, 14 June, to have deliberately misled MPs over parties in Downing Street during the pandemic – the Privileges Committee has rejected Mr Johnson’s defence that officials advised him that rules had been followed, The Times reports.Several gatherings took place in Number 10 in December 2020, including a leaving event on 17 December in which Mr Johnson made a speech. More

Labour’s Danny Beales has been on the campaign trail in Uxbridge and South Ruislip after Boris Johnson resigned as the north London constituency’s MP.The former prime minister stepped down on Friday (9 June) after launching a scathing attack on the Commons Privileges Committee probe into whether he misled the Commons over the Partygate scandal.“People are telling us that they’re pretty fed up – whether they voted Labour or Conservative last time,” the Camden councillor said.“The overwhelming sense was for the last 10-plus years we haven’t had a local MP.” More

Boris Johnson’s resignation shows he has “taken charge,” the former prime minister’s ex-director of communications has said.Speaking on Sky News, Guto Harri said Mr Johnson had stepped down as an MP on his own terms rather than “being dragged kicking and screaming.”Mr Johnson resigned on Friday, 9 June, after launching a scathing attack on the Commons Privileges Committee investigation into whether he misled MPs with his assurances over the Partygate scandal.Longtime allies of the former PM, Nadine Dorries and Nigel Adams, announced their resignations shortly afterwards. More

The Conservative party does not miss the “drama” of Boris Johnson, Grant Shapps has said.Speaking to Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, 11 June, the energy secretary was pressed on whether more MPs would quit in solidarity with the former prime minister.Mr Johnson announced his resignation as MP on Friday (9 June) after launching a scathing attack on the Commons Privileges Committee probe into whether he misled the Commons over the Partygate scandal.Mr Johnson’s allies Nadine Dorries and Nigel Adams resigned after the former PM’s statement.”It’s very hard to predict the future,” Mr Shapps said. More