Partygate: MPs to share evidence ahead of Boris Johnson TV grilling

MPs investigating Boris Johnson implicit Partygate volition people caller documents later, up of a televised proceeding important to his governmental future.

The erstwhile premier curate is battling accusations helium misled Parliament implicit rule-breaking lockdown parties successful Downing Street during his tenure.

He has admitted his archetypal assurances successful 2021 that Covid rules were followed wholly did mislead MPs.

But helium says this was not deliberate and that the proceeding volition vindicate him.

The erstwhile premier, who was ousted from bureau past twelvemonth aft a drawstring of scandals, faces being perchance suspended if MPs determine helium deliberately misled them.

The seven-member Commons privileges committee is investigating whether what Mr Johnson told Parliament stopped it from decently holding him to account.

At 14.00 GMT connected Wednesday, the committee volition get its accidental to question him unrecorded connected TV, successful a proceeding that could past respective hours.

He is expected to beryllium flanked by members of his taxpayer-funded ineligible team, with whom helium volition beryllium capable to confer during the session. Mr Johnson besides hopes to person immoderate of his supporters successful the room.

However, helium volition person to reply questions himself, and volition instrumentality an oath connected the King James book earlier the proceeding begins.

Before the hearing, astatine 09.00 GMT the committee volition people a "core bundle" of grounds that is expected to beryllium referred to during the hearing.

All the grounds amassed by the committee, including written statements from 23 witnesses, authoritative diaries, and emails betwixt officials, has already been handed implicit to Mr Johnson's ineligible team.

His lawyers person fixed the committee 46 WhatsApp messages betwixt the erstwhile premier curate and 5 unnamed people.

Media stories astir unit parties successful Downing Street erstwhile Covid rules banned socialising indoors began to look successful precocious 2021, aboriginal becoming known arsenic the Partygate scandal.

On respective occasions afterwards, Mr Johnson told the House of Commons that Covid rules had been followed successful Downing Street.

But an enquiry by elder authoritative Sue Gray aboriginal recovered rule-breaking had taken spot astatine aggregate events, and constabulary issued fines to 83 people, including Mr Johnson himself, for breaching Covid laws.

The committee, chaired by seasoned Labour MP Harriet Harman, but with a Conservative majority, said earlier this month that breaches of pandemic guidance would person been "obvious" to him astatine the time.

However that was rejected by Mr Johnson connected Tuesday, successful a 52-page document mounting retired his defence up of the TV hearing.

In the submission, helium said his assurances to MPs that lockdown rules had been followed were made successful "good faith".

He had not "intentionally oregon recklessly" misled MPs, helium added, and would "never person dreamed of doing so".

He said helium had not considered astatine the clip that events helium attended himself, including a June 2020 day gathering successful No 10 for which helium was fined, had been successful breach of the rules.

For different events helium had not attended, helium said helium had not been told by his officials that they broke the rules - and it was tenable of him to spot their account.

He besides took purpose astatine the committee itself, accusing of departing from the precedents acceptable by erstwhile inquiries.

The committee has decided that whether helium intended to mislead MPs is not applicable successful deciding whether helium stopped Parliament from doing its job, known arsenic a "contempt".

But if they determine a contempt was committed, his intentions volition beryllium considered erstwhile deciding immoderate punishment they recommend.

A uncovering that helium deliberately misled MPs is apt to pull the strongest sanction. Another enactment is they reason helium misled Parliament "recklessly".

In his submission, the erstwhile premier curate deed retired astatine this reasoning, saying the thought of misleading MPs recklessly was an "entirely caller concept".

The afloat House of Commons volition person to o.k. the committee's last recommendations, arsenic good arsenic immoderate sanctions, which scope from ordering him to apologise to suspending him from the Commons.

Conservative MPs volition beryllium fixed a escaped vote, meaning they volition not beryllium told however to ballot by enactment managers.

If helium is suspended for much than 10 days, this could trigger a by-election successful his constituency - though suspensions of this magnitude person been uncommon successful the past.