Partygate: MPs test Boris Johnson's claims he did not lie to Parliament

Boris Johnson has repeatedly insisted helium did not intentionally mislead Parliament implicit Partygate successful a 3 hr grilling by a committee of MPs.

The erstwhile premier curate began the league with a Bible successful his hands, arsenic helium swore: "Hand connected heart, I did not prevarication to the House."

He admitted societal distancing had not been "perfect" astatine gatherings successful Downing Street during Covid lockdowns.

But helium told MPs the guidelines - arsenic helium understood them - had been followed.

The Privileges Committee is investigating statements Mr Johnson made to Parliament, aft details of booze-fuelled parties and different gatherings successful Downing Street emerged successful the media from the extremity of 2021 onwards.

If helium is recovered by MPs to person deliberately oregon recklessly misled Parliament, helium faces suspension from the Commons - a determination which mightiness trigger a by-election successful his Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency.

Mr Johnson, with a ineligible advisor astatine his side, and supporters including erstwhile furniture curate Jacob Rees-Mogg sat down him, was successful a combative temper arsenic helium took MPs' questions.

The MPs themselves were robust successful their questioning, with committee chair, Labour's Harriet Harman, astatine 1 constituent describing his assurances arsenic "flimsy", saying they "did not magnitude to overmuch astatine all".

Mr Johnson repeatedly insisted "essential" enactment gatherings, which helium said included unit leaving dos successful Downing Street, were allowed nether his government's Covid guidelines.

At times, MPs connected the committee - including elder Tory Sir Bernard Jenkin - expressed incredulity astatine his enactment of argument.

Shown a representation of himself surrounded by colleagues and drinks during a leaving do, Mr Johnson argued No 10 unit cannot person an "invisible electrified obstruction astir them".

"They volition occasionally drift into each other's orbit," helium said, accepting that "perfect societal distancing is not being observed" successful the representation but denying it was successful breach of the guidance.

"I judge it was perfectly indispensable for enactment purposes," helium said of the lawsuit for outgoing communications manager Lee Cain successful November 2020.

"We were pursuing the guidance to the champion of our quality - which was what the guidance provided."

This was the lawsuit helium had successful caput connected 1 December 2021, erstwhile helium told MPs each guidelines had been followed, helium told Sir Bernard.

Sir Bernard said: "I'm bound to accidental that if you said each that astatine the clip to the House of Commons, we astir apt wouldn't beryllium sitting here. But you didn't."

Asked aboriginal successful the league by Labour MP Andy Carter if helium should person made these arguments astatine the time, helium said: "Perhaps if I had elucidated much intelligibly what I meant - and what I felt and believed astir pursuing the guidance - that would person helped."

Questioned connected whether helium would person told different organisations, if asked astatine a authorities pandemic property conference, whether they could clasp "unsocially distanced farewell gatherings", Mr Johnson said: "I would person said it is up to organisations, arsenic the guidance says, to determine however they are going to instrumentality the guidance amongst them."

He besides insisted his day gathering, successful June 2020 astatine the tallness of the pandemic, for which helium was fined by police, had been "reasonably indispensable for enactment purposes".

And helium defended the beingness of luxury interior decorator Lulu Lytle - who was revamping the Johnsons' Downing Street level - due to the fact that she was a "contractor" moving successful No 10.

He said past chancellor Rishi Sunak, who was besides present, would person been "just arsenic amazed arsenic I was" astir the fines they received.

"I thought it was a wholly guiltless event," Mr Johnson said. "It did not onslaught maine arsenic thing different than an mean communal oregon plot workplace event."

In different tetchy speech with Sir Bernard Jenkin, Mr Johnson was asked astir his comments that it was "no large vice" to trust connected governmental advisers for assurances earlier making statements to the House of Commons.

Sir Bernard expressed astonishment that Mr Johnson, if determination was adjacent "the thinnest scintilla of doubt" astir whether rules were followed, would not person sought retired counsel from civilian servants oregon authorities lawyers.

"If I was accused of law-breaking and I had to springiness undertakings to Parliament... I would privation the proposal of a lawyer," Sir Bernard told him.

A intelligibly annoyed Mr Johnson told the elder Tory: "This is implicit nonsense, I mean, implicit nonsense.

"I asked the applicable people. They were elder people. They had been moving precise hard."

The committee volition present its verdict connected Mr Johnson by the summer.

The afloat House of Commons would ballot connected immoderate recommendations. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has agreed to springiness Tory MPs a escaped ballot connected their conscience implicit Mr Johnson's fate.