Boris Johnson to be grilled over partygate scandal

Former British prime minister Boris Johnson will be grilled by a cross-party parliamentary panel for several hours on Wednesday to establish whether he knowingly misled the House of Commons over the partygate scandal of COVID law-breaking parties at Downing Street. The House of Commons Privileges Committee has published a fresh bundle of evidence, including photographs and statements from Johnson’s close aides at the time, ahead of the oral evidence session. The seven-member committee, which scrutinises members of Parliament, said it was publishing the material for the benefit of those following the oral evidence session. “The documents comprise the evidence and materials that will be referred to in the course of oral questioning by MPs,” it said, adding that much of the material has already been previously published. Among the documents is the written evidence of Martin Reynolds, the former principal private secretary to Johnson when he was Prime Minister, who claims he questioned whether it was ”realistic” to make the claim in Parliament that all COVID guidance was followed. Reynolds said Johnson agreed to delete the reference to the guidance but then went on to tell the Commons the following day that ”the guidance was followed and the rules were followed at all times”. In his own written evidence published on Tuesday, the 58-year-old former Prime Minister admitted he did mislead MPs over partygate but in good faith. “I accept that the House of Commons was misled by my statements that the Rules and Guidance had been followed completely at No. 10,” reads his evidence.