Boris Johnson has accepted that he misled MPs but insisted his partygate denials were made “in good faith” based on what he “honestly” knew at the time. The former prime minister insisted in his 52-page written evidence to the Privileges Committee inquiry that he “did not intentionally or recklessly mislead the House”.
His defence dossier was published on Tuesday (March 21), a day before he faces a live grilling by the cross-party group of MPs in a hearing that could decide his political fate. In his legal argument, Mr Johnson accepted that his denials turned out not to be true but said he corrected the record at the “earliest opportunity”.
However he insisted there is “no evidence at all that supports an allegation that I intentionally or recklessly misled the House”, as he battles to avoid a possible suspension. “So I accept that the House of Commons was misled by my statements that the Rules and Guidance had been followed completely at No 10,” he wrote.
