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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Sam Hancock,Tom Batchelor,Maroosha Muzaffar and Joe Middleton

Boris Johnson news – live: Hancock broke rules with Harding appointment as PM to deny partygate wrongdoing

PA Wire
Boris Johnson receives legal questionnaire over partygate from police

Former health secretary Matt Hancock did not comply with a public sector equality duty when appointing Conservative peer Baroness Dido Harding and Mike Coupe to posts in 2020.

Lord Justice Singh and Mr Justice Swift granted a declaration to the Runnymede Trust on Tuesday after considering arguments at a High Court hearing in December.

Campaign group the Good Law Project joined the trust in making complaints - arguing that the Government had not adopted an “open” process when making appointments to posts “critical to the pandemic response” - but their claim was dismissed.

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson is expected to deny any wrongdoing in relation to the partygate scandal and argue that his presence at the No10 gatherings during lockdown was part of his working day.

The prime minister has until Friday to answer a questionnaire sent by Met Police who are investigating parties in Downing Street while the country was under strict Covid curbs.

Elsewhere, Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden has denounced what he claimed was a “painful woke psychodrama” sweeping the West as he gave a speech on so-called “cancel culture” hosted by a right-wing think tank.

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