Boris Johnson has ensured that he acted “in good faith” when he told the House of Commons that the Covid rules had not been violated in Downing Street. In the 50-page report presented by his defense before the parliamentary committee where he will appear tomorrow for “Partygate”, the former prime minister admits that he could have misled the deputies with his statements, but that he did not do so “deliberately” or “a reckless way”
“There is not a single document that indicates that I received notice that some of the events could constitute a violation of the (Covid) rules,” Johnson declared as part of the arguments presented by the head of his legal team, Lord David Pannick. . The report recalls that the only one who has come to insinuate that Johnson was warned was his “discredited” and ousted adviser Dominic Cummings.
The Committee on Privileges, which will subject Johnson to a televised questioning that can last up to five hours, has identified up to four occasions on which the former Conservative leader may have “misled” or “misled” Parliament. Referring to his first statement, on December 1, 2021, Johnson assures that at the time he “honestly believed that these were legal work meetings” and that he was unaware that “they could have escalated beyond what was legal when I I left”.
A Scotland Yard investigation concluded with 126 fines for as many Covid infractions – including one for Johnson himself and another for his wife, Carrie – in at least 12 meetings or “parties” in Downing Street, with alcoholic beverages and without respecting the social distancing rules in place.
The Privileges Committee, made up of seven deputies and chaired by Labor Harriet Harman, released in advance four previously published photos with Johnson surrounded by collaborators at close range and with tables full of alcoholic beverages.
The committee has confirmed that it has not had access to new evidence beyond that examined by the police and by senior official Sue Gray in her internal report. Johnson’s team has sought to debunk the “bias” of the investigation by alleging that Gray was at the same time in talks with opposition Labor leader Keir Starmer to become his chief of staff.
After Johnson’s long-awaited testimony, the committee will still take several weeks to issue its conclusions, possibly in the first half of May. If there is a ruling against Johnson, the former “premier” could be temporarily suspended as an MP and a special election would be called to cover his seat in Uxbridge and South Ruislip. If he were “acquitted”, Johnson could relaunch his political career and reopen the box of thunder within the Conservative Party, five months after Rishi Sunak’s arrival in Downing Street.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
