A date has been set for Boris Johnson’s Partygate showdown with the Privileges Committee, which may scupper any hopes of the former PM’s return to frontline politics. The committee released a new 24-page memo of evidence, warning that breaches of coronavirus guidance would have been “obvious” to Mr Johnson at several events he attended.
The former Prime Minister will give evidence to the Privileges Committee in the week beginning March 20.
The committee highlighted several events where the then Prime Minister was present without social distancing and published pictures.
But in a statement, Mr Johnson hit out at partygate investigator Sue Gray, saying it is “surreal” and “particularly concerning” that she will be working for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
But the Privileges Committee said its report is “not based on the Sue Gray report” but instead on evidence supplied last November including witnesses present at the time of the gatherings, WhatsApps, emails and photographs from the official Downing Street photographer.
Mr Johnson claimed the report shows he has “not committed any contempt of Parliament”.
In a statement, the former Prime Minister said: “I am grateful to the committee for their work over the last ten months. I believe that their labours have helped establish the obvious truth.
“It is clear from this report that I have not committed any contempt of Parliament. It is also clear that what I have been saying about this matter from the beginning has been vindicated.
“That is because there is no evidence in the report that I knowingly or recklessly misled parliament, or that I failed to update parliament in a timely manner.”
The report from the Privileges Committee, published earlier today, said: “The evidence strongly suggests that breaches of guidance would have been obvious to Mr Johnson at the time he was at the gatherings.
“There is evidence that those who were advising Mr Johnson about what to say to the press and in the House were themselves struggling to contend that some gatherings were within the rules.”
