Five key findings from Boris Johnson inquiry update

MPs investigating whether Boris Johnson misled Parliament implicit lockdown gatherings successful Downing Street person produced an update connected their investigation.

Parliament voted for the cross-party Privileges Committee to analyse the substance past year.

In a statement, released astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic the committee's update, the erstwhile premier curate argued determination was "no grounds successful the study that I knowingly oregon recklessly misled parliament, oregon that I failed to update parliament successful a timely manner."

"When I told the House that the rules and the guidance had been followed, that was my honorable belief."

The committee says Mr Johnson's statements astatine property conferences and to MPs proves helium had cognition of the coronavirus rules and guidance successful place.

It notes determination is grounds that determination was "a civilization of drinking" successful parts of Downing Street and that events specified arsenic day and leaving parties continued contempt Covid rules connected gatherings.

Witnesses told the committee that the then-prime curate would person seen definite gatherings and connected juncture joined the events.

It says the grounds "strongly suggests" that breaches of guidance "would person been evident to Mr Johnson astatine the clip helium was astatine the gatherings".

The enquiry says it has recovered 4 examples wherever Mr Johnson whitethorn person misled the House of Commons astir lockdown gatherings:

MPs who mislead Parliament are expected to close the grounds astatine the earliest opportunity.

The committee notes that betwixt 15 December and 19 January Mr Johnson made statements to MPs connected Partygate but "did not uncover to the House what helium knew erstwhile helium answered nonstop questions astir his knowledge".

The study says: "The committee volition privation to perceive from Mr Johnson why, alternatively of correcting the grounds astatine the earliest opportunity, helium declined to reply questions that were wrong his nonstop knowledge, alternatively telling the House to await the study of the Second Permanent Secretary [Sue Gray]."

The committee says: "There is grounds that those who were advising Mr Johnson astir what to accidental to the property and successful the House were themselves struggling to contend that immoderate gatherings were wrong the rules."

It quotes a WhatsApp from Downing Street's Director of Communications from 25 January 2022 successful narration to a gathering of 19 June 2020 which says: "Haven't heard immoderate mentation of however it's successful the rules."

In different WhatsApp the advisor says of the aforesaid event: "I'm struggling to travel up with a mode this 1 is successful the rules successful my head."

In effect to a proposition that they could picture the lawsuit arsenic "reasonably indispensable for enactment purposes", past manager of communications Jack Doyle says: "Not definite that 1 works does it. Also blows different large gaping spread successful the PM's relationship doesn't it?"

The committee has written to Mr Johnson to corroborate a day for him to look earlier them.

The MPs person fixed Mr Johnson a play of "not little than 2 weeks successful which to measure the study and grounds earlier helium gives oral evidence".

The committee says it volition marque a judgement connected whether Mr Johnson misled MPs.

If the committee finds that Mr Johnson recklessly oregon intentionally misled MPs, it volition see what sanctions to recommend, which could see suspension oregon expulsion from the Commons.

MPs volition past person the accidental to judge oregon cull the recommendations.