Boris Johnson was in Texas yesterday when the revelation emerged (Picture: AP)
Boris Johnson has accused the Cabinet Office of making ‘bizarre and unacceptable’ claims after he was referred to police over further potential lockdown breaches.
The former prime minister said the Government was ‘entirely wrong’ after it emerged he had been reported to two forces over events at both Chequers and Downing Street.
Both the Metropolitan Police and Thames Valley Police are assessing the information, which is understood to have come from official diary entries that were being reviewed ahead of the public Covid inquiry.
Mr Johnson strenuously denied the allegations and insisted all events in questions were lawful, as his allies suggested the move was politically motivated.
His ministerial diary revealed visits by friends to Chequers – the PM’s country manor in Buckinghamshire – during the pandemic, The Times reports.
Other potential breaches within Downing Street were also reported to the Met.
Senior Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg told GB News he had visited Chequers with his family during the pandemic, but it was ‘entirely within the rules’.
The Daily Mail then quoted a friend of Mr Johnson who claimed he was ‘seriously considering’ legal action against the Government over the referrals.
Rishi Sunak is facing a tough day after the latest revelation about his predecessor (Picture: No 10 Downing Street)
This will likely pile even more pressure on Rishi Sunak, who was fined over a gathering in Downing Street during lockdown along with his former boss in June 2020.
He faces a grilling later today at PMQs from Keir Starmer, who is also set to demand an investigation into Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s handling of a speeding ticket.
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said the revelations showed the Tories were too ‘haunted by their own failure’ to govern.
The Liberal Democrats demanded Mr Sunak brings an end to the taxpayer-funded legal defence provided to Mr Johnson over the partygate probe.
The Government expects to pay an estimated £222,000 in legal fees to help Mr Johnson defend himself in the privileges committee inquiry into whether he lied to MPs over lockdown rule-breaking in Downing Street.
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A statement from his office said his lawyers have written to police to ‘explain in detail why the Cabinet Office is entirely wrong in its assertions’.
It read: ‘No contact was made with Mr Johnson before these incorrect allegations were made both to the police and to the Privileges Committee. This is both bizarre and unacceptable.
‘For whatever political purpose, it is plain that a last-ditch attempt is being made to lengthen the Privileges Committee investigation as it was coming to a conclusion and to undermine Mr Johnson.’
The Cabinet Office said: ‘Information came to light during the process of preparing evidence for submission to the Covid inquiry.
‘It was identified as part of the normal disclosure review of potentially relevant documents being undertaken by the legal team for inquiry witnesses.
‘In line with obligations in the Civil Service Code, this material has been passed to the relevant authorities and it is now a matter for them.’
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Both the Metropolitan Police and Thames Valley Police are assessing further potential lockdown breaches by Boris Johnson.
