Partygate committee Live – End of hearing

Recap on partygate committee

• Committee didn’t seem convinced by BoJo defence
• BoJo appears to dismiss legitimacy of committee
• BoJo defence is he didn’t think guidance was broken – and still doesn’t 
• He admits he misled parliament but not intentionally 
• Appears to blame the advisers, but wouldn’t name them 

Summary

1. Boris Johnson has been grilled by a committee of MPs on whether he intentionally misled Parliament over lockdown-era gatherings at No 10
2. He was pressed repeatedly over how he could not have known that various events – including leaving dos – breached guidance and rules
3. He was also asked about who he spoke to before telling the Commons he was assured no guidance had been broken
4. Johnson swore on a Bible at the start of the session that he would tell the truth – and he insisted he “did not lie” to the House of Commons about Partygate
5. He was shown a picture of himself raising a glass in a room without social distancing, but responded that he believed the event was necessary for work purposes
6. Committee Chair Harriet Harman earlier warned Johnson: “If what ministers tell us is not the truth, we can’t do our job”

‘It remains my belief that guidance was followed’

Harriet Harman now says she wants to explore the question of correcting the record issue as there has been a lot of  discussion about Boris Johnson correcting the record.

She says: “I just want to explore one aspect of that and put this to you about what you said on the 25 May 2022. 

“You said, ‘I’m happy to say on the record now that when I came to this House and said in all sincerity that the rules and guidance had been followed all times, it was what I believed to be true'”.

She says to Mr Johnson: “What you said to the House was that it was certainly the case that when you were present at gatherings to wish staff farewell that the guidance had been followed at all times.”

Asked if he wants to reassert that, he says: “It was my belief at the time that I made those statements that the guidance was followed and actually it remains my belief for the time.

“When I was looking at these events, I thought they were within the guidance, given what I knew about what we were trying to do, given what I knew about the limitations we faced on maintaining perfect social distancing.”

Pressed on what he believes now, he says he does not want to “dissent” on what he said. – (SKY NEWS) https://twitter.com/supertanskiii/status/1638566937222422529