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Boris Johnson has refused to admit to criminality in Downing Street as he was grilled by MPs after fines were issued over the police’s partygate investigation.
The prime minister came under pressure, during questions from the Commons liaison committee, to concede that this week’s announcement of 20 fixed penalty notices by the Met Police meant that the law had been broken.
But Mr Johnson stonewalled attempts by the SNP’s Pete Wishart to force him to do so or to admit to any breach of the ministerial code, telling him: “You are just going to have to hold your horses.”
Earlier, a spokesman for the prime minister had apparently refused to endorse comments by deputy PM Dominic Raab, who told Sky News that the fixed penalties were being issued to “those that have breached the regulations”.
Mr Wishart told the PM: “You can at least accept there has been criminality.
“You do accept it? Twenty fixed penalty notices have been issued, for goodness’ sake. There can’t be any contradiction and doubt about criminality?”
Mr Johnson replied: “I have been, I hope, very frank with the House about where I think we have gone wrong and the things that I regret, and I apologise for, but there is an ongoing investigation.
“I understand the point you’re making, but… I have been very clear I won’t give running commentary on an ongoing investigation.”
Labour has described it as “totally untenable” for “Downing Street to sort of refuse to acknowledge what is a statement of fact and law” and the Liberal Democrats said the position was “absurd”.
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Raab defends civil servants over partygate
Downing Street has said it would reveal if Mr Johnson – or Cabinet…
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Source : skynews
