Rishi Sunak silent over Tory MPs' Partygate report attacks

Rishi Sunak has refused to accidental whether Tory MPs accused of undermining the Commons Partygate enquiry into Boris Johnson should apologise.

The Privileges Committee said past week that the MPs, including Nadine Dorries and Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, had tried to "interfere" with the probe.

Asked whether they should accidental sorry, the premier curate didn't say, adding helium hadn't work the committee's report.

MPs volition determine whether to o.k. the findings astatine a statement adjacent Monday.

Last month, the Commons backed the committee's finding, successful a abstracted report, that Mr Johnson misled Parliament implicit Covid rule-breaking successful No 10.

Mr Sunak has ne'er said whether helium agrees with the findings of that study - and missed past month's ballot to o.k. it, blaming a diary clash.

The follow-up study by the Privileges Committee, published past week, said respective allies of Mr Johnson had sought to "influence the outcome" of its archetypal probe into the erstwhile premier minister.

It accused the 7 MPs and 3 peers, each Conservatives, of mounting attacks connected the committee designed to "discredit" its findings.

The study has led to a escaped code row, with respective of those named, including Ms Dorries and Sir Jacob, saying determination is nary crushed they should not beryllium capable to criticise its conclusions.

At a scheduled quality astatine the Commons Liaison Committee, Mr Sunak did not respond to a question from Labour MP Chris Bryant astir whether the MPs named should apologise.

Instead, helium said helium had not work the study - which runs to a fistful of pages - from "cover to cover," though helium was alert of its findings.

He confirmed helium had asked Lord Zac Goldsmith, 1 of the Tory peers named successful the report, to apologise - but said this was due to the fact that of his past relation arsenic an situation minister.

Lord Goldsmith quit his authorities post past week, citing unhappiness with greenish policies. He has denied a assertion from Mr Sunak that helium had refused to apologise implicit being named successful the report.

Mr Bryant, who chairs the Privileges Committee but did not instrumentality portion successful its probe into Mr Johnson due to the fact that helium had criticised him earlier it began, besides criticised Mr Sunak for missing the Commons ballot connected its findings.

The premier curate replied helium couldn't be due to the fact that helium was scheduled to talk astatine a foundation event, but the Labour MP accused him of choosing "not beryllium successful Parliament".

"But yesterday, you opined connected the regularisation of cricket. Take america done that," helium added, successful an evident notation to Mr Sunak's criticism of the Australia squad connected Monday.

In a bid of testy exchanges, helium besides took a swipe astatine Mr Sunak's attendance grounds successful Parliament, noting that helium is scheduled to miss the adjacent 2 sessions of Prime Minister's Questions.

Mr Sunak replied helium volition miss this week's league due to the fact that helium is attending an lawsuit marking the 75th day of the NHS, whilst adjacent week helium is astatine a acme of Nato leaders successful Lithuania.

He denied that helium had immoderate power implicit the timing of the NHS event, telling Mr Bryant: "I did not determine erstwhile that was."