Boris Johnson has issued a grovelling apology to people for “misjudgements” over the Downing Street ‘bring your own booze’ party but said “nobody told me it was against the rules”.
The Prime Minister said he humbly regretted the events of May 20, 2020 as he attempted to twist away from responsibility for the lockdown scandal engulfing his premiership.
Johnson insisted he believed a gathering in No 10’s garden during the first lockdown would be a “work event” after being accused of lying to Parliament by Dominic Cummings.
He denied he was warned by Dominic Cummings the drinks party held in the gardens broke lockdown restrictions.
“Categorically nobody told me and nobody said that this was something that was against the rules," he added.
But the Prime Minister turned down the chance to issue an outright denial of his former aide’s claims and dodged questions about whether the would have to stand down if the investigation by Sue Gray finds he has lied to parliament.
He said: ”Let’s see what the report says.
"I repeat my deep apologies for mistakes that may have been made on my watch, for which I take full responsibility, but I do think people need to wait to see the conclusion of the report.”
He added: "Nobody told me that what we were doing was against the rules, that the event in question was something that ... was not a work event, and as I said in the House of Commons when I went out into that garden I thought that I was attending a work event."
Distancing himself from the decision to host the party, Johnson said he "could not imagine why on earth it would have gone ahead, or why it would've been allowed to go ahead. "
He added: “Nobody said to me this is an event that is against the rules, that is in breach of what we’re asking everybody else to do, it should not go ahead.
He said: “What I remember is going out into that garden for a short time and for 25 minutes thanking staff who’d worked on Covid, who were continuing to work on Covid, and then going back to office.”
“If I had my time again, I would not have allowed things to develop in that way.”
The PM confirmed this was the account he had given to Sue Gray, the senior civil servant investigating the issue.
"I do humbly apologise to people for misjudgments that were made but that is the very, very best of my recollection about this event, that's what I've said to the inquiry," he said.
Johnson looked genuinely remorseful as he “bitterly regretted” and was “heart fully sorry” for two further parties that took place in Downing Street on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral.
He could be heard breathing heavily behind his mask and hung is head in shame as he told Sky News: “I deeply and bitterly regret that that happened.
“I can only renew my apologies both to Her Majesty and to the country for misjudgments that were made, and for which I take full responsibility.”
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