Boris Johnson has sworn “hand on heart, I did not lie to the House” as he was questioned by MPs over whether he misled the Commons with his denials of partygate in a hearing that could determine his political fate.
Boris Johnson swore “hand on heart, I did not lie to the House” as he was questioned by MPs over whether he misled the Commons with his denials about partygate in a hearing that could determine his political fate.
She insisted the committee is “not relying” on evidence provided by the Sue Gray report, as allies of Mr Johnson claim the inquiry is a “witch hunt” now that the civil servant is joining Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s office. He said if it was so “obvious” that rule-breaking was going on in No 10, as the committee argues, then it would also have been “obvious” to others, including Rishi Sunak.
“If there had been such anxiety about a rule-breaking event at No 10 it would unquestionably have been escalated to me.”He added that a claim by his former aide, Dominic Cummings, to have raised concerns with the then prime minister was “unsupported by any documentary evidence” and “plainly cannot be relied on”.Mr Johnson told the inquiry that if it is accusing him of lying, then it is also levelling the same charge at civil servants, advisers and MPs.
“I believe it was absolutely essential for work purposes,” he said of the event for outgoing communications director Lee Cain in November 2020. WhatsApp messages between Boris Johnson and Jack Doyle, released as part of the Privileges Committee inquiry “I accepted this but questioned whether it was realistic to argue that all guidance had been followed at all times, given the nature of the working environment in No 10. He agreed to delete the reference to guidance.”
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