Bombshell new Partygate evidence has been published showing the No10 scramble to defend Boris Johnson and the warnings given to the ex-PM about lockdown boozing.
The Commons Privileges Committee disclosed 110 pages of messages and statements from key players in Downing Street ahead of its explosive showdown with Mr Johnson later today.
The slippery former PM is arguing that he didn't mislead Parliament intentionally when he denied rules had broken at lockdown bashes because he had received assurances from aides.
But one account shows Mr Johnson was told by senior aide Martin Reynolds not to say that all Covid guidance was followed in No10 at PMQs following the Mirror's report that Partygate booze-ups had happened during the pandemic.
Civil service chief Simon Case flatly denied to the committee that he had ever given these assurances and said he wasn't aware that anyone else did.
The bumper dossier also contains messages showing the then-No10 spin chief Jack Doyle arguing the Mirror would "get bored" of the story if they offered a robust defence to our exclusive story in December 2021.
And one No10 official gave evidence that Mr Johnson "had the opportunity to shut down" lockdown gatherings in Downing Street but "joined in".
Mr Johnson will be grilled for up to four hours by the Privileges Committee today on whether he deliberately misled Parliament with his Partygate denials after the MPs spent 11 months gathering evidence.
If the committee finds he lied to MPs, he could face suspension from the Commons or even a by-election if the sanction is serious enough.
The cache of evidence includes a warning from senior aide Martin Reynolds - who organised the infamous BYOB party in the No10 garden - against claiming all coronavirus guidance had been followed at No 10 parties.
Ahead of PMQs on December 7 2021, Mr Reynolds questioned whether the suggestion was realistic and said Mr Johnson agreed to delete the mention of guidance but he made the denial anyway.
Asked if there was a party on November 13 2020, Mr Johnson told MPs: "No, but I am sure that whatever happened, the guidance was followed and the rules were followed at all times."
Mr Reynolds admitted that the language around the BYOB party in May 2020 - where he emailed staff to suggest drinks to enjoy the weather - had been "totally inappropriate and gave a misleading impression of the nature of the event"
Meanwhile, Cabinet Secretary Simon Case outright denied ever advising Mr Johnson to say that all the rules had been followed.
And Jack Doyle, who was Boris Johnson top spinner, denied ever telling him that Covid-19 guidance was followed at all times in No 10.
He said: "As per my evidence to the Sue Gray report, in relation to the events I attended I said I believed no rules were broken."
But asked whether he told Mr Johnson "Covid guidance" was followed at all times, Mr Doyle said: "No."
Asked whether he told Mr Johnson that "no parties were held in No 10" while restrictions were in force, Mr Doyle said: "I advised the prime minister that I did not consider the event of December 18, 2020 to be a party."
He said it was not "possible to say" whether the social distancing guidelines were always followed as No10 "is an old building with limited space".
The cache of evidence also include testimony from a No10 official that Mr Johnson often saw the press office gatherings while walking up to his flat.
"He had the opportunity to shut them down but joined in, made speeches, had a drink with staff," the unnamed aide said.
"He could have taken the issue up with Martin Reynolds, his principal private secretary, to shut them down.
"He could see what was happening and allowed the culture to continue."
No10 officials were already joking that they weren't at the Downing Street Christmas Party on December 18, by the following Monday.
Press Secretary Allegra Stratton resigned after a video emerged of her joking about the party in a mock press conference.
One unnamed aide said there was "banter, gossip and rumour about the Friday night event being more than an event", with staff quipping that they weren't there.
The evidence also reveals how No10 aides scrambled to squash the story, with Mr Doyle saying that the Mirror would "get bored" if they offered a robust denial.
He also said “I don’t know what we say about the flat" in response to the query from the Mirror about an alleged party in Boris Johnson's family flat.
The so-called Abba Party on November 13, which was never investigated by police or Sue Gray, involved Mrs Johnson and her friends blasting out Abba songs to celebrate the departure of Dominic Cummings.
Mrs Johnson and No10 have always denied a party took place.
