Boris Johnson goes down fighting but runs head first into Partygate reality

The then prime minister Boris Johnson holding a media briefing in Downing Street in January 2022. Photograph: Jack Hill/AP

When Boris Johnson appeared before the privileges committee in March, he was asked by the Tory MP Alberto Costa if he would characterise the inquiry as a “witch-hunt” or a “kangaroo court”.

The former prime minister replied he would reserve judgment until he saw the committee’s conclusions. “I will wait to see how you proceed with the evidence that you have,” he said.