Boris to be grilled on live TV over Partygate scandal
Boris Johnson today faces a televised grilling by MPs investigating claims he knowingly misled Parliament over the ‘Partygate’ scandal.
Johnson is battling to save his career and is set to be quizzed for around four hours by the Commons Privileges Committee.
The former PM will be questioned over a number of lockdown-breaking parties held at Number 10 – including his own birthday – during the pandemic.
If he is found to have deliberately misled the House then he could be suspended as an MP, potentially leading to a by-election in his west London constituency.
He made claims no rules or guidelines had been broken and that any parties had been ‘in good faith’ based on assurances he had been given by his advisers, including former No 10 communications director Jack Doyle.
Mr Johnson has already added fuel to the fire and this morning said he will vote against Rishi Sunak’s Windsor Framework deal later, when MPs get a chance to have their say on the Stormont brake.
In a statement reported by the Daily Telegraph, he said: ‘The proposed arrangements would mean either that Northern Ireland remained captured by the EU legal order – and was increasingly divergent from the rest of the UK – or they would mean that the whole of the UK was unable properly to diverge and take advantage of Brexit.
‘That is not acceptable. I will be voting against the proposed arrangements today. Instead, the best course of action is to proceed with the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, and make sure that we take back control.’
A report by the committee earlier this month noted Mr Johnson had been present at a series of gatherings when it would have been ‘obvious’ to him that social distancing guidelines had been breached.
The Privileges Committee initially came under fire for not publishing the report sooner, but it was confirmed that the final written evidence did not arrive until 8.02am yesterday.
It released internal Downing Street messages showing advisers ‘struggling’ to explain how such conduct was within the rules.
In a bullish statement issued last night, the ex-premier however insisted he was ‘very much’ looking forward to his appearance before the committee.
He said: ‘I believe that the evidence conclusively shows that I did not knowingly or recklessly mislead Parliament. The committee has produced not a shred of evidence to show that I have.’
It followed the release of a 52-page dossier in which he argued there was ‘nothing reckless or unreasonable’ about relying on the assurances of his advisers, even though they were later shown to be wrong.
After the committee published more photographs of Mr Johnson at lockdown gatherings, he said it was ‘implausible’ that the events would have been ‘immortalised’ by the official No 10 photographer if it had been known they were against the rules.
He also took a potshot at the committee – chaired by Labour grandee Harriet Harman – criticising the ‘highly partisan tone and content’ of its report and accusing it of going beyond its remit in a way that was ‘obviously inappropriate, impermissible, and unfair’.
Despite having a Tory majority, the seven-member committee has come under fire from Mr Johnson’s allies with accusations that it is no more than a kangaroo court.
Ms Harman has also faced calls to stand down after she had previously said that she believed Mr Johnson had misled the House.
If the committee concludes that he is in contempt of Parliament it can recommend sanctions – depending on how serious it considers the offence to be which would then be voted on by the whole House.
A penalty in excess of a 10-day suspension would trigger a recall petition, which could lead to a by-election in his Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat.
Rishi Sunak has already indicated that he will not whip Tory MPs to vote to spare the former prime minister if he does face sanctions, making clear it will be a free vote.
Mr Johnson will be accompanied at the hearing by his barrister, Lord Pannick KC, who will be able to pass him advice – but will not be allowed to address the committee himself.
Ahead of the evidence session, the committee will release a ‘core bundle’ of documents that may be referred to in the course of the hearing.
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