Boris Johnson is under pressure to “come clean” over claims his wife Carrie hosted a second lockdown party in their Downing Street flat.
More Tory MPs, including a former Attorney General, called on the Prime Minister to quit over Partygate today as they digest last week’s report by Sue Gray.
Downing Street refused to deny reports that an unnamed aide had a message exchange, showing Mrs Johnson met male friends in the flat on June 19, 2020 – the evening of her husband’s 56th birthday.
The PM's deputy official spokesman said Ms Gray would have looked at such allegations - if there were “credible” claims rules had been breached.
And Carrie Johnson’s team appeared to confirm the message existed
But the spokesman refused seven times to deny the gathering took place. We look at what it was, what we know - and what we don't.
What is Carrie Johnson accused of doing?
She is alleged to have been with friends in the Downing Street flat on the PM's birthday on 19 June 2020.
At the time, the law banned social gatherings indoors between people from different households.
It’s claimed the gathering happened about four hours after the PM was presented with cake in the working area of Downing Street - an event that netted both him and his wife £50 fines.
Civil service boss Simon Case was told of messages related to the gathering, The Sunday Times reported.
The newspaper said an aide sent her a 6.15pm message saying the PM was returning to the flat. She allegedly replied suggesting she was with male friends.
The Telegraph reported she replied with the words “Great. I am already here with the gays” - an affectionate term for some of her male friends. The Mirror understands this was not the exact phrase used, but the context was similar.
Unlike another event in the flat five months later, the gathering did not feature in Sue Gray's bombshell report into lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street.
Is this the same as the ‘Abba party’?
No.
Abba’s ‘Winner Takes it All’ was allegedly blasted from the flat on 13 November 2020, the night Mrs Johnson’s bitter rival Dominic Cummings was forced out of No10.
Sue Gray and the Met Police both looked into the gathering and Boris Johnson is thought to have been in the flat at the time.
But Sue Gray decided it was "not appropriate or proportionate" to investigate further after Scotland Yard issued no fines.
Claims later emerged - and weren't denied - that an original Gray draft saying music was coming from the flat, and stating what time the gathering ended, was watered down.
Boris Johnson said it was a work meeting and Mrs Johnson has previously denied there was a party on that night.
What DON’T we know about this event?
A lot. It was not included in Sue Gray’s report and we don’t know how closely it was looked at by the Met Police.
We don’t have confirmed names of who attended and Mrs Johnson’s spokeswoman has declined to say what the purpose of the gathering was.
Why could this new event land No10 and Boris Johnson in trouble?
Because Downing Street explicitly denied it took place four months ago, only to fail to deny it properly now.
When ITV News first claimed “family friends” were hosted in the upstairs flat, a No10 spokesman told the broadcaster: “This is totally untrue”.
But today a No10 spokesman failed at least seven times to deny an event took place.
A spokeswoman for Mrs Johnson also did not deny a gathering took place, and declined to say what the nature of it was.
The spokeswoman said: “As the Sunday Times acknowledges, Sue Gray was aware of these exchanges as part of her exhaustive inquiry into alleged breaches.
"Staff were given ample opportunity to present evidence including these messages and all relevant information was passed to the Metropolitan Police for investigation."
It’s now claimed the Privileges Committee - more below - could broaden its inquiry to look at the alleged gathering in the flat.
What is the Privileges Committee?
Seven MPs - four of them Tories - who investigate if MPs have breached parliamentary privilege.
It can find MPs in contempt of Parliament for “deliberately misleading” the Commons - such as War Secretary John Profumo who denied an affair in 1963 - and recommend they’re suspended.
Investigations are rare and only happen when ordered by the whole House of Commons.
The last MP to face sanction was Tory Justin Tomlinson in 2016, and the last investigated for misleading MPs was Labour ’s Stephen Byers in 2006. He gave an inaccurate answer “inadvertently” so there was no contempt.
The committee is usually chaired by Labour’s Chris Bryant, but he has recused himself. Labour veteran Harriet Harman, Mother of the House, is expected to lead the probe.
What will it investigate?
Whether Boris Johnson misled Parliament deliberately by lying about Partygate.
The probe “includes but is not limited to” four statements Boris Johnson made in December 2021 denying parties at No10.
They include “all guidance was followed” - a claim he later corrected, but said he thought was right at the time - and an explicit denial that there was a party on 13 November 2020.
The PM was later pictured holding a glass of fizz at aide Lee Cain’s leaving do on that day. He has claimed it was his “duty” to attend.
The committee could also, if it chooses, investigate fresh claims that Carrie Johnson held a gathering in the flat on 19 June 2020, which was not mentioned in Sue Gray’s Partygate report.
Can Boris or Carrie Johnson be called as witnesses?
Yes. Select committees have the power to demand written evidence - like the text message from Carrie Johnson - or summon witnesses to give evidence.
The committee can choose to do this either through public or private hearings.
In Justin Tomlinson’s case, the hearing was private at the time but a transcript was published after he was found in contempt.
One insider suggested Tory MPs on the panel will want to hold hearings in public to avoid accusations of a “stitch-up”.
The committee could find itself stuck if - for example - Carrie Johnson refused to appear as a witness.
When Dominic Cummings refused to give evidence to Parliament he was found in contempt in 2019. But as a non-MP, the Privileges Committee had little power to sanction him.
A spokeswoman for Mrs Johnson did not respond to a query on whether she would be willing to give evidence.
When will the report come out?
A source close to the investigation said there is “no way” it will be out before the summer - and it will likely be the end of October at the very earliest, possibly November.
The committee has not even met to discuss the issue yet and is not likely to for another two weeks or so.
Chairman Chris Bryant will only recuse himself from the committee after June 6 because it is still finishing a separate piece of work.
Harriet Harman is then expected to be elected in his place late next week, followed by MPs on the committee choosing a chair.
Then they meet and draw up lists of evidence and witnesses, who could spend weeks wrangling over availability and legal exchanges.
That would leave the issue dangling over Boris Johnson through two key by-elections on June 23 and past Tory conference in October.
