Boris Johnson To Face MPs Investigating Partygate Next Wednesday

Boris Johnson will face questions from MPs investigating whether he misled parliament over the partygate scandal next Wednesday at 2pm.

The former prime minister will defend himself against the allegations levelled at him by the privileges committee.

According to the cross-party group, there is evidence Johnson misled the Commons on multiple occasions over whether lockdown rules were broken in Downing Street on his watch.

If found guilty, the former PM could be suspended or expelled from the Commons and a by-election could even be triggered in his seat.

Johnson has long rejected any suggestion he lied to parliament.

But in a damning report published earlier this month, the committee said the rule breaches by No.10 staff “would have been obvious” to Johnson.

“There is evidence that the House of Commons may have been misled.” the MPs said, listing four separate occasions.

The committee is not investigating whether rules were broken or not, the police have already concluded they were, but specifically whether Johnson misled MPs.

As prime minister, Johnson repeatedly told the Commons that no Covid rules had been breached in No.10.

But he was later fined by police for attending a birthday party thrown for him in the Cabinet Room.

The MPs said: “The evidence strongly suggests that breaches of guidance would have been obvious to Johnson at the time he was at the gatherings.

“There is evidence that those who were advising Johnson about what to say to the press and in the House were themselves struggling to contend that some gatherings were within the rules.”

The 24-page report goes on to say: “It appears that Mr Johnson did not correct the statements that he repeatedly made and did not use the well-established procedures of the House to correct something that is wrong at the earliest opportunity.”