Boris Johnson has insisted mid-pandemic gatherings in Downing Street were “essential”, as he clashed in heated exchanges with senior MPs on the Privileges Committee on Wednesday.
The committee’s inquiry is probing whether Mr Johnson deliberately misled MPs, when he previously reassured the Commons that Covid rules and guidance were followed in No10 during the scandal.
The former prime minister on Wednesday swore “hand on heart” to tell the truth to the committee.
In televised evidence that could determine his political future, Mr Johnson went on to say the boozy gatherings held at No10, which came to be known collectively as ‘Partygate’, were essential to boost work morale during the pandemic, hence why they were held despite not being able to fully socially distance.
He defended various rule-breaking events - including a birthday party held on June 19, 2020, for which he was fined - as being “necessary for work purposes”.
He said raising a toast surrounded by alcohol at a leaving do for departing communications chief Lee Cain was “not only reasonably necessary but it was essential for work purposes”.
Mr Johnson told the Privileges Committee he had been “misremembering” when claiming during partygate that rules had been followed at all times.
He accepted he misled MPs but denied doing so “recklessly”, insisting he denied lockdown breaches “in good faith” on the advice of officials, who turned out to be wrong.
But senior Tory Sir Bernard Jenkin questioned why Mr Johnson failed to take “proper advice”, which Mr Johnson angrily rejected as “complete nonsense”.
Under fiery questioning Harriet Harman, the Labour chairwoman of the Tory-majority committee, asked whether the former prime minister could see why MPs were “dismayed about the flimsy nature” of the assurances he had given them.
Mr Johnson said that he thought, at the time, the gatherings were within the rules and therefore he did not willingly mislead Parliament.
During a three-hour grilling Mr Johnson also crossed swords with Tory MP Sir Bernard Jenkin over the Downing Street gatherings that led to more than 100 fixed penalty notices to be issued by the police.
If Mr Johnson fails to convince the committee that he did not deliberately mislead the Commons, he could be found to have committed a contempt of Parliament.
A suspension of 10 days or more could result in a high-profile by-election in his Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat.
