How did it go? BBC correspondents give their verdict

Boris Johnson, the UK's erstwhile premier minister, has faced a grilling from a committee oregon MPs connected whether helium intentionally misled Parliament implicit lockdown parties.

Our governmental analogous Ione Wells had a ringside spot successful the committee room, and governmental exertion Chris Mason was connected the borderline of his spot each afternoon.

From handwritten notes to wry smiles and tense exchanges, here's what they made of it.

Boris Johnson is ever idiosyncratic who has utilized - oregon attempted to usage - humour successful his speeches, adjacent erstwhile helium is trying to get retired of the stickiest of situations.

He defended his presumption that his attendance astatine gatherings was successful the rules, saying that during the day gathering for him - which the constabulary gave him a good for - the barroom was enactment successful a Tupperware container and aboriginal eaten by his backstage secretaries.

The remark got a fewer wry smiles successful the country from spectators. But helium was intelligibly trying to support his code much superior than usual, fixed what's astatine involvement for his governmental career.

As the questions came heavy and fast, Mr Johnson was being beauteous defiant.

He argued that a leaving bash helium was photographed astatine - which shows a deficiency of societal distancing - "had to happen" and was "necessary" due to the fact that 2 elder members of unit had near successful acrimonious circumstances and helium needed to springiness reassurance, and it was "essential" for enactment purposes.

He seemed to beryllium hammering this constituent astir "necessity" arsenic 1 of his cardinal defences - the question volition beryllium whether that washes with the committee, who volition beryllium alert different cardinal workers who inactive had to spell to carnal workplaces did not see in-person leaving dos "necessary".

Remember though, the committee is not reopening the enquiry into whether these events were successful the rules oregon not. They're trying to enactment retired if helium should person known they were not - and told Parliament arsenic much.

From wherever I was sitting - straight down Mr Johnson, it was rather fascinating watching this each play out.

His ineligible advisor was periodically handing him immoderate notes and pointing to sections of his written submission to the committee outlining his defence, which was published connected Tuesday.

Mr Johnson had a large stack of A4 sheets of insubstantial with him excessively - galore covered successful handwritten scribbled notes.

Overall, it was tense, uncomfortable, and not conscionable due to the fact that the country was swelteringly warm.

The committee's grilling didn't past the afloat 5 hours immoderate anticipated, but it was inactive extended - and long.

So however did Johnson do? Well, we won't cognize conscionable yet whether oregon not his grounds was capable to person MPs that erstwhile - arsenic he's admitted - helium misled Parliament, helium did not bash truthful intentionally oregon recklessly, and corrected the grounds astatine the earliest opportunity.

Johnson seemed astatine his astir assured erstwhile helium was capable to gully connected facts that suggest regularisation breaking wouldn't person been evident to him - similar that authoritative photographers were contiguous astatine times and that his day gathering was briefed to the Times newspaper. He looked much astatine easiness here.

It got trickier for him erstwhile helium started having his ain societal distancing guidance cited backmost astatine him.

The photographic grounds present became hard for him arsenic helium was forced to explicate however drinks gatherings demonstrated societal distancing being followed "wherever possible."

Here helium relied mostly connected his content these gatherings were "essential" for work. Will that lavation with the committee? We'll request to hold and see.

He was astir visibly rattled - arsenic were immoderate of the supportive Tory MPs sat down him - erstwhile they grilled him connected whether helium had capable assurances that rules were followed, arsenic helium claimed to Parliament.

Many watching astatine location whitethorn person made up their minds already astir whether oregon not they backmost his defence.

But it could beryllium a portion inactive earlier we cognize however each this has landed with the radical who truly substance present - the MPs who person his destiny successful their hands.

Today was astir Boris Johnson's estimation - but it was, successful reality, overmuch bigger than that.

Public statement is built connected truth. Some deliberation that toppled implicit nether Boris Johnson.

MPs are present trying to find if the erstwhile premier curate lied to them.

Lengthy, elaborate and astatine times testy, the grounds was punctuated - connected an energetic time astatine Westminster - by a ballot connected Rishi Sunak's Brexit woody for Northern Ireland, which passed easy contempt Boris Johnson's opposition.

And, it conscionable truthful happened, close successful mediate of each of this, Downing Street decided it was the perfect clip - for them - for the Prime Minister's long-awaited taxation instrumentality to find its mode into the airy of day.

A antheral of immense wealthiness pays a immense magnitude of taxation - astir fractional a cardinal pounds past year. Unsurprising, but eye-catching, were Westminster's eyes not diverted elsewhere.

The Privileges Committee present needs to digest Boris Johnson's relationship and enactment retired if it amounts to a reckless oregon intentional misleading of parliament.

It each poses 3 questions tonight. Do they judge him? Do you judge him? And what volition a time similar this mean for however our leaders behaviour themselves successful future?

Analysis by Rob Watson, governmental correspondent

Boris Johnson is simply a antheral warring for his governmental life. But I deliberation there's a accidental his grounds - agelong and progressive arsenic it was - volition perfectly alteration thing successful presumption of nationalist opinion.

What bash I mean by that? Polling suggests that those radical who deliberation this is simply a fuss astir thing and that helium did a hard occupation successful hard circumstances arsenic good arsenic helium could - I don't deliberation thing volition person changed their minds.

And those who deliberation - 'hang connected a minute, determination was intelligibly 1 regularisation for the rulers and 1 for the ruled. How connected world could they beryllium having these functions? How connected world could helium deliberation this was a enactment lawsuit erstwhile everyone other was keeping two-metre distances?' I don't deliberation they volition person changed their minds.

But they're not the ones who substance of people - it's this committee of 7 MPs who volition person to scope a judgement arsenic to whether Parliament was intentionally misled oregon not

What they're going to travel up with - I don't know. But I conscionable don't deliberation nationalist sentiment is going to alteration precise overmuch - some successful a affirmative and antagonistic mode for Boris Johnson.

There volition nary uncertainty proceed to beryllium a important number of radical successful this state who deliberation "good ole Boris", and a important bulk who deliberation helium shouldn't travel backmost to powerfulness - oregon anyplace adjacent it.