Nadhim Zahawi has repeatedly swerved questions on whether he would support Boris Johnson if the Metropolitan Police fined him over the ongoing partygate scandal.
Asked whether he would continue to back the prime minister if he is given a fixed penalty notice for his involvement in lockdown-busting parties which took place in Downing Street and across Whitehall, the education secretary refused to explicitly back Mr Johnson.
“Well the police are doing their work,” Mr Zahawi says when asked if he will continue to support the PM if he is awarded a penalty for breaching coronavirus rules.
Live updates as Met Police have not yet contacted the PM over partygate
“You saw today that they are engaging with and talking to over 50 people. Sue Gray delivered I think a reem and a half, 100s of pages to the police, as well as many, many pictures to them.
“I think it’s only right that they do their work.
“I think it’s right that we focus on what I’m focussing on which is National Apprenticeship week. The prime minister is at NATO, there’s a clear and present danger of war in Europe which I think what his focus is on now.
“And I think once the police report the prime minister has pledged to come to parliament and to make clear exactly what the police have said but also to publish whatever Sue Gray’s final report says.”
‘It’s a hypothetical question’
Pressed further on the fact that he had not actually said if he supports the prime minister or not, Mr Zahawi continued: “Well it’s a hypothetical question. What if the police find him not to have broken the rules?”
Asked whether he is going to reserve his judgement for now, the education secretary added: “I think it’s only fair.”
On Wednesday evening, Scotland Yard announced that officers are to begin contacting more than 50 people believed to have taken part in alleged…
Source : skynews
