Boris Johnson partygate live: Former PM attacks 'absurd' claims as his defence is published

 Source Daily Telegraph 21/03/23

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Boris Johnson has attacked the "absurd and unprecedented" partygate claims made against him as his evidence to the Privileges Committee was published.

Mr Johnson said he believed it was clear from the committee’s investigation that "there is no evidence at all that supports an allegation that I intentionally or recklessly misled" the House of Commons.

He accepted the Commons "was misled by my statements" on partygate but when those statements were made "they were made in good faith".

Mr Johnson questioned the impartiality of the committee’s investigation as he accused it of adopting a "highly partisan tone" in the interim partygate report it published at the start of March.

The former prime minister criticised the committee over a suggestion that he should not have based his Commons statements on advice received from his advisers.

He said: "The Committee also now appears to be alleging that it was in some way reckless for me to rely on assurances that I received from trusted advisers. That allegation is unprecedented and absurd."

The publication of the 52-page document came ahead of Mr Johnson’s appearance in front of the committee tomorrow afternoon.

If Mr Johnson fails to convince the committee he did not deliberately mislead the Commons, he could be found to have committed a contempt of Parliament.