Boris Johnson has dismissed calls to resign after a damning report found there had been a culture of Covid rule breaking in his Downing Street during lockdown.
Civil servant Sue Gray concluded in her 37-page report that there had been "failures of leadership" in Number 10 that had resulted in regular gatherings "not in line with Covid guidance".
Facing the Commons this afternoon, Mr Johnson said he had been "humbled" by the report - but minimised his own culpability, telling MPs he was "not aware" of several parties taking place in the offices below his flat.
The Gray report gave details of gatherings at which officials drank so much they were sick, sang karaoke, became involved in altercations and abused security and cleaning staff at a time when millions of people across the country were unable to see friends and family.
Mr Johnson said: "I had no knowledge of subsequent proceedings because I simply wasn’t there, and I have been as surprised and disappointed as anyone else in this House as the revelations unfolded.
"When I said the rules and guidance had been followed at all times it was what I believed to be true."
Labour frontbencher Lucy Powell could be heard shouting "you're an embarrassment" as Mr Johnson continued with his statement.
Fellow Labour MP Afzal Khan called on the Prime Minister to go, he said: "The laws broken by the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and others were not victimless crimes.
"They were not silly rules and meaningless red tape, they were designed to protect lives.
"The doctors and nurses who cared for my relatives at North Manchester General Hospital were not clocking off for 'wine time Friday', so for the first time in his life, will the Prime Minister do the right thing and resign?"
Mr Johnson said: "No".
Following the Commons statement, which was sparsely populated by Tory MPs, it was reported another letter of no confidence in Mr Johnson had been submitted to Sale and Altrincham MP Sir Graham Brady who chairs the powerful backbench 1922 committee.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer urged Tory MPs on, saying: "Members on the opposite benches now also need to show leadership.
"This Prime Minister is steering the country in the wrong direction. They can hide in the backseat, eyes covered, praying for a miracle or they can act. Stop this out-of-touch, out-of-control Prime Minister from driving Britain towards disaster."
It is understood that Mr Johnson will address Tory MPs in a private meeting this evening.
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