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Boris Johnson looked deeply uncomfortable just one hour into his hearing in front of the Parliamentary Privileges Committee on Wednesday – and it’s expected to go on for several more hours yet.
The former prime minister has been hauled in front of fellow MPs as part of their investigation into whether or not Johnson deliberately misled parliament over partygate.
Back in December 2021, Downing Street was first reported to have been holding social gatherings which broke the then-lockdown rules at the height of the pandemic.
Johnson told his colleagues no rules had been broken and the guidance was always followed.
Following a report from senior civil servant Sue Gray and a Metropolitan Police criminal investigation, Johnson and current PM Rishi Sunak were both fined for breaching the Covid measures in 2022.
MPs then turned their focus solely onto Johnson in a parliamentary investigation which puts the ex-PM’s political career on the rocks.
Within an hour of the hearing – expected to last up to four or five hours – the Tory MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip was already interrupting those questioning him and raising his voice.
An example pic.twitter.com/TlSOT3NCUZ
— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) March 22, 2023
Here’s Boris Johnson starting to lose his rag in the privileges committee pic.twitter.com/eLXtx6uP24
— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) March 22, 2023
Bernard Jenkin, now Harriet Harman, are slowly backing Boris Johnson into a corner here on the guidance.
Former PM is clearly growing a tad impatient…🥴
— Sophia Sleigh (@SophiaSleigh) March 22, 2023
In fact, some political commentators thought his performance was more than just unfortunate for Johnson.
The last 20 minutes basically ended Boris Johnson’s political career.
— (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) March 22, 2023
Meanwhile, it’s not clear that the revival of partygate is doing any favours for Johnson’s reputation.
On Wednesday, YouGov released a poll showing 72% of the British public think Johnson is dishonest.
And Twitter seemed equally disillusioned…
There's a Trumpian top-spin on Boris Johnson's statement — HE was Making Britain Great Again, and any other version of it is a media conspiracy.
— Sangita Myska (@SangitaMyska) March 22, 2023
As I hear Johnson justify his rule-breaking by claiming he was working really hard, I can't help thinking of all the NHS staff who worked all hours, in difficult and dangerous conditions and didn't break the rules he made.
This must be sickening for them.— Kit Yates (@Kit_Yates_Maths) March 22, 2023
The Johnson defence so far: “if it must have been obvious to me [that we were breaking the rules], then it must have been obvious to some of the most senior officials in the country.”
Which it was. One of them even sent out a message that said ‘I think we got away with it.’
— Tom Peck (@tompeck) March 22, 2023
Johnson looking pretty unhappy about, well, pretty much everything. pic.twitter.com/OSfMEZXRXQ
— Ian Dunt (@IanDunt) March 22, 2023
Dominic Cummings "has every motive to lie" about what happened during Partygate, says Boris Johnson, who has every motive to lie about what happened during Partygate. pic.twitter.com/ZevwKDQ3pu
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) March 22, 2023
You are not only accusing me of lying you are accusing all those civil servants of lying – @BorisJohnson No they are not . He’s the one who made his claims in the House
— Adam Boulton (@adamboultonTABB) March 22, 2023
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