Shameless Boris Johnson has apologised for Partygate failings but claimed he was "disappointed" by brazen antics of his staff.
The Prime Minister was forced before the Commons to save his leadership following the publication of Sue Gray's long-awaited report into lockdown-flouting parties in Downing Street and Whitehall.
Ms Gray's inquiry laid bare the extent of brazen rule-breaking and booze culture in Downing Street and Whitehall, with examples of staff being sick, drinking into the early hours and an altercation at a leaving do.
The PM claimed he was "humbled and had learned a lesson" from the report - but then tried to suggest he had been vindicated and it was time to "move on" from the Partygate saga that has dogged his premiership.
Keir Starmer blasted the PM of being intent on nothing but "saving his own skin".
In a statement to MPs, Mr Johnson renewed his apology for attending a "short lunchtime gathering" on his birthday in June 2020, for which he was fined by the Metropolitan Police.
The PM said: "I take full responsibility for everything that took place on my watch."
But Mr Johnson then tried to shift blame by saying he attended some gatherings to thank staff and "keep morale as high as possible" but then events went on afterwards without his knowledge.
"I'm as surprised and disappointed as anyone else in the House as the revelations have unfolded," he claimed.
Keir Starmer insisted the PM was "not leading" but merely trying to "saving his own skin".
Insisting "it's time to pack his bags", the Labour leader said: "During that May 2020 press conference, the British public were told normal life is a long way off. "But that wasn't the case in No10.
"Even now, after 126 fines, they [Tories] still think it's everybody else's fault...as if the fact that he only broke the law once, is worthy of praise. They set the bar for his conduct lower than a snake's belly."
Mr Johnson started by appearing to defend staff who were working "extremely long hours" and "doing their best" to help the country in the pandemic.
But then he moved on to trying to salvage his leadership, while claiming "I'm trying to set out the context, not to mitigate or to absolve myself in any way."
Mr Johnson said he briefly attended gatherings to "thank them for their service" and "to keep morale as high as possible".
Amid heckles from MPs, he said: "It's clear from what Sue Gray had to say that some of these gatherings then went on far longer than was necessary and they were clearly in breach of the rules and they fell foul of the rules."
Mr Johnson added: "I had no knowledge of the subsequent proceedings as I simply wasn't there."
He notably failed to deny that he had suggested Ms Gray didn't publish her report, which No10 tried to deny earlier this week.
Pressed on the issue by Tory MP Aaron Bell, Mr Johnson said: "What Sue Gray has published is entirely for Sue Gray."
Several senior Tories openly criticised Mr Johnson, while Conservatives MPs were spotted leaving the Commons during the statement.
Former Justice Secretary Robert Buckland asked him if he had "deliberately lied to us".
He replied: "No, for the reason I have given, that at the time that I spoke to this House I believe that what I was doing was to attend work events. And with the exception of the event in the Cabinet room, that is a view that has been vindicated by the investigation."
Ex-minister Tobias Ellwood warned the Tories could lose the next election.
"Can we continue to govern without distraction given the erosion of the trust with the British people," he demanded.
"And can we win the general election on this current trajectory...can he think of any other prime minister who'd have allowed such a culture of indiscipline to take place under their watch and if it did would they not have resigned?"
Mr Johnson replied: "I think the answer is overwhelmingly and emphatically yes, we are going to go on and win the next general election because we're going to get on with the job."
Ms Gray's long-awaited report includes private WhatsApp messages and emails where a top aide bragged about getting away with a BYOB drinks and the PM's spin chief warned that there were "comms risks" about holding rule-breaking parties.
She said: "I found that some staff had witnessed or been subjected to behaviours at work which they had felt concerned about but at times felt unable to raise properly.
"I was made aware of multiple examples of a lack of respect and poor treatment of security and cleaning staff. This was unacceptable."
Nine photos were published in the report from two dates - the PM's 19 June 2020 birthday party, where top civil servant Simon Case can be seen laughing and Boris Johnson brandishes a can of Estrella beer.
Mr Johnson is also pictured raising a glass of fizz at a leaving do for his comms chief Lee Cain on 13 November 2020.
He explicitly denied that a party took place on that date, leading to claims he has misled Parliament.
Mr Johnson is expected to give a press conference to the nation later, and a speech to the Tory backbench 1922 Committee as he seeks to shake off his Partygate woes.
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner tweeted: "It's indefensible.
"Boris Johnson's Downing Street is rotten from the very top. He set the culture. It happened on his watch. It's on him."
Lobby Akinnola, spokesperson for Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice who lost his father Femi to the virus, said: "Whilst the country had one of the highest death rates in the world from Covid-19, they were celebrating over cheese and wine and drinking themselves sick over a Karaoke machine.
"When they refused to learn lessons and allowed the virus to run riot in the second wave, killing more people than it had in the first, they instead prioritised Secret Santa.
"When they were texting colleagues about getting away with it, we were having to text our families telling them they couldn't come to their loved ones' funerals.
"The messages in the report show they knew how disrespectful they were being to the families they were failing, but that didn’t bother them."
