[ad_1]
Boris Johnson is to submit a dossier of evidence ahead of an interrogation by MPs over whether he lied to Parliament about the partygate scandal.
The former prime minister will provide information in his defence as he prepares for a lengthy televised grilling by the Commons privileges committee on Wednesday, where he faces a fight for his political life.
In an interim report, the panel said the evidence strongly suggested breaches of coronavirus rules in No 10 should have been “obvious” to Mr Johnson.
Ministers ‘being forced’ to send migrants to Rwanda, Dowden says – follow latest updates
They are examining evidence around at least four occasions when he may have deliberately misled MPs with his assurances that lockdown regulations were followed.
Mr Johnson, who was fined by the Metropolitan Police for breaching his own COVID-19 laws, has denied deceiving the Commons.
Allies of the ex-Tory leader said he would provide a “detailed and compelling” account to the committee before his appearance, showing that he “did not knowingly mislead the House”.
The Sunday Times reported he will point to a series of previously undisclosed WhatsApp messages from senior civil servants and members of his No 10 team showing that he had relied upon their advice when he made his statements to Parliament.
He will also publish messages which show that other senior figures in Downing Street believed the gatherings were covered by the “workplace exemption” in the lockdown rules.
A committee spokesperson said: “The committee has invited Mr Johnson to provide written evidence to the inquiry, should he wish, in advance of the oral evidence session.
“Any such response will be published.
“The committee has said that Mr Johnson may publish his own written evidence, if he chooses, but any such evidence must also be formally submitted to the committee which will itself publish it as soon as is practicably possible after receiving it, after initial analysis (to make sure no…
[ad_2]
