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Boris Johnson is facing fresh pressure at partygate after lawmakers said evidence suggested breaches of coronavirus rules would have been "obvious" to the then-prime minister. The cross-party privileges committee said the House of Commons may have been fooled at least four times, and that MPs will question Johnson later this month. The former prime minister offered a strong defense as he claimed the preliminary inquiry report showed he was "justified" and sought to cast doubt on civil service investigator Sue Gray's own report of events in Downing Street following her transfer to Sir Keir Starmer. . dispatch.
Based on written evidence from the committee's interim report, Johnson commented that a farewell party amid the pandemic at number 10 was "probably the furthest gathering from society in the UK at the moment".
WhatsApp messages given to the inquiry show advisers 'struggling' with how the parties are following the rules, with one granting an apology 'putting another big hole in the prime minister's account'.
The committee said: “The evidence strongly suggests that breaches of the guidelines would have been apparent to Mr Johnson at the time he was at the rallies.
"There is evidence that those who advised Mr. Johnson on what to say to the press and to the House itself had a hard time claiming that certain meetings were within the rules."
He also defended his investigation against Johnson's comments, saying it was "not based on Sue Gray's report", which last year detailed alcohol-fuelled Downing Street parties and the breach of lockdown under Johnson.
Johnson told the media on Friday that people could now view the Gray investigation in a "different light."
"If you had told me at the time that I assigned Sue Gray to do the investigation, if you had told me everything I know now, I think I could have questioned her more closely about her independence."
Sir Keir declined to say when talks began with Gray over a role in the Labor Party, but Johnson's allies used the surprise decision to try to discredit the Committee on Privileges inquiry.
Evidence released on Friday included messages between No 10 communications director Jack Doyle and an official about the birthday party held for Johnson in 2020, for which the former prime minister was fined by police. .
Mr Doyle wrote: "I'm struggling to find a way to get this one in the rules in my head."
In response to a suggestion that they describe the event as 'reasonably necessary for business purposes', he said: 'I'm not sure we're working, right? It also opens another big hole in the Prime Minister's account, doesn't it? »
A No 10 official on another exchange said a colleague was "concerned about PM leaks and to be fair I don't think it's unjustified."
More evidence came in the form of new photos showing Johnson and his colleagues drinking alcohol in a confined space.
During the strict post-Christmas lockdown rules, then-chef Tory can be seen seemingly half-baked in front of four bottles of sparkling wine, along with beers.
The committee will cross-examine what Johnson knew at the time of his various denials in the House of Commons, including saying on December 8, 2021 that no rule had been broken despite Gray and police saying otherwise.
In a statement, Johnson said: "I believe his work has helped to establish the honest truth: it is clear from this report that he did not despise Parliament."
“It is also clear that what I have said about this from the beginning has been confirmed.
"It is because there is no evidence in the report that I knowingly or recklessly misled Parliament, or did not inform Parliament in a timely manner."
In what is likely to be a highly anticipated appearance, Johnson is expected to give oral testimony as part of the investigation and will be broadcast live on television the week of March 20.
Johnson received one of 126 fines issued by Scotland Yard for anti-lockdown parties in Downing Street and Whitehall.
If found guilty of lying to parliament and suspended for more than 10 days, he could be forced to face a by-election.
PA wire
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