The key parts of Boris Johnson’s partygate evidence

Published

2 years ago

March 21, 2023

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The House of Commons privileges committee has published former prime minister Boris Johnson’s defence, which was submitted following its inquiry investigating whether he misled parliament over partygate.

The probe was launched in the wake of Sue Gray’s partygate report, which blamed a “failure of leadership and judgement” for the lockdown-busting parties that took place in Number 10 during the COVID pandemic.

Authorities from the House of Commons said the initial document from Mr Johnson “had a number of errors and typos” and a correct version was not received until 8.02am on Tuesday.

Politics live: Boris Johnson’s partygate defence revealed

BRIEF SUMMARY OF BORIS JOHNSON’S PARTYGATE EVIDENCE

Johnson accepts the Commons was misled but says that he made his statements “in good faith”.
He says the only evidence that he intentionally misled the Commons has come from the “discredited Dominic Cummings” and that his former top aide’s claims are not “supported by any documentation”.
Johnson: “There is not a single document that indicates that I received any warning or advice that any event may have broken rules or guidance.”
Johnson on his birthday celebration: “No cake was eaten and no-one even sang happy birthday.”
The former PM admits: “I might well have made observations in speeches about social distancing, and whether it was being perfectly observed.”
He argues that the committee has breached the scope of its own inquiry

Statements were made ‘in good faith’

A major part of the evidence is that Mr Johnson accepts that the House of Commons “was misled by my statements that the rules and guidance had been followed completely at No 10”.

The evidence reads: “I accept that the House of Commons was misled by my statements that the rules and guidance had been followed completely at No.10.

“But when the statements were made, they were made in good faith and on the basis of what I honestly knew and believed at the time.”

‘Implausible’ that Johnson would have held events ‘obviously’ contrary to lockdown rules

In another part of the evidence, Mr Johnson states that a “suggestion that we would have held events which were ‘obviously’ contrary to the rules and guidance, and allowed those events to be immortalised by the official photographer is implausible”.

Returning to this at a different section, Mr Johnson adds: “If it was ‘obvious’ to me that the rules and guidance were not being followed, it would have also been ‘obvious’ to the dozens of others who also attended those gatherings.

“Many of those individuals wished me ill and would have no hesitation in seeking to bring me down me if I sought to conceal or ‘cover-up’ the truth from the House.

“If someone had known or believed that the rules or guidance had been broken (because it was ‘obvious’), you would expect that there would have been contemporaneous documents recording this, including emails or WhatsApp messages: some discussion, or some post-mortem.

“There is absolutely nothing.”

‘No evidence at all’ to support allegation

Mr Johnson wrote: “It is clear from [the committee’s] investigation that there is no evidence at all that supports an allegation that I intentionally or recklessly misled the House.

“The only exception is the assertions of the discredited Dominic Cummings, which are not supported by any documentation.”

‘I honestly and reasonably believed in the truth of the statements’

Going on to address each of the statements relied upon by the committee and give them some context, Mr Johnson retained his position, writing: “However, my clear and consistent position since the outset of this inquiry has been that, at the time that the statements were made, I honestly and reasonably believed in the truth of the statements. That remains my position.”

‘Unprecedented and absurd’

In one part of the evidence, Mr Johnson calls the committee’s allegation – that it was “reckless” for him “to rely on assurances that I received from trusted advisers” – “unprecedented and absurd”.

Support from WhatsApp messages

Mr Johnson wrote that “further support” for his case can be found in WhatsApp messages that are in the committee’s possession.

He wrote: “On 10 December 2021, I sent a message to Jack Doyle [former Downing Street director of communications] stating: ‘Is there a way we could get the truth about this party out there’.

“I trusted the assurances that Jack Doyle and others had given me, so I wanted the ‘truth’ as they had explained it and as I honestly believed it, to be published. I used ‘party’ as shorthand because that it how it was being referred to in the media.”

Doyle said New Year’s Eve party was ‘within the rules’

Another reference Mr Johnson uses is a brief interaction with Mr Doyle concerning the party on 31 December.

“I asked Jack Doyle about the event, which he confirmed he had attended,” Mr Johnson wrote.

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“He explained to me that the media team held a regular Friday evening team meeting, where they would discuss what had occurred during the week, and have a drink.

“As this was the last Friday of the year, there was also cheese and a Secret Santa. He reminded me that this had been a ‘nightmare’ evening, as the country was about to go back into lockdown at a time when I was desperate to protect Christmas.

“He informed me that to call it a party was a great exaggeration. I asked him: ‘Was it within the Rules?’ He told me: ‘It was within the Rules’.”

‘COVID rules have been followed at all times’

Following reports by the Daily Mirror in December 2021 that Mr Johnson made a speech at a leaving do on 27 November – when the country was in the second lockdown – and allowed a festive party to proceed on 18 December when London was in the grips of Tier 3 restrictions, Number 10 responded with the line: “COVID rules have been followed at all times.”

In his evidence, Mr Johnson said that he “cannot recall” whether he had “sight of that line before it was briefed”.

“Based on my diary, I believe that I did not know about or approve the line before it was given to the Daily Mirror (given that I did not speak to Mr Doyle until 6.00pm). Nothing may turn on this though, given that I did discuss the matter with Mr Doyle, and, based on the assurances that I received from him and my own knowledge and understanding, I agreed with the line,” he wrote.

‘I am reliant on advice from officials’

According to sources at the time, a party took place on 18 December, in Downing Street with around 40 people in attendance.

Addressing this in his evidence, Mr Johnson said that he had “relied on assurances” from his advisers, assurances which he now says were “wrong.”

“As Prime Minister, I am reliant on advice from officials. There is nothing reckless or unreasonable about that,” he wrote.

Events attended by Johnson himself

Addressing events in which he personally attended himself, Mr Johnson wrote: “I honestly and reasonably believed that the rules and guidance were followed at the events that I attended. I did not know that any of these events later escalated beyond what was lawful after I left.”

Mr Johnson added: “The Committee seeks to rely on photographs of the events. However, those photographs support the fact that this was not obvious.”

Johnson’s 56th birthday

Addressing the event for which Mr Johnson received his one and only fine, his 56th birthday gathering – when indoor mixing was banned – he said: “It never occurred to me then or at any time prior to the police issuing the fixed penalty notice, that the event on 19 June 2020 was not in compliance with the rules or the guidance.

“I was in the Cabinet Room for a work meeting and was joined by a small gathering of people, all of whom lived or were working in the building. We had a sandwich lunch together and they wished me Happy Birthday.

“I was not told in advance that this would happen. No cake was eaten, and no-one even sang ‘happy birthday’. The primary topic of conversation was the response to COVID.”

‘I could see into the press office on my way to the flat’

In another part of the evidence, Mr Johnson wrote: “For the avoidance of any doubt, I accept that I could see into the Press Office on my way to the flat, although my attention is often elsewhere when I am returning to the flat. There would be nothing unusual or untoward about that.”

Johnson confirms he attended ‘five events referenced by the committee in its fourth report’

During the evidence, Mr Johnson confirmed that he attended five events referenced to by the committee in its initial 24-page report.

These included: 20 May 2020 garden party; 19 June 2020 Johnson’s birthday party; 13 November 2020 two parties thought to have happened the day Dominic Cummings left; 27 November 2020 Cleo Watson’s [former aide to Mr Johnson] leaving party; 14 January 2021 a leaving party for two private secretaries.

World

China’s premier air show wows spectators – but the West won’t have liked seeing Russia’s jets

Published

5 hours ago

November 16, 2024

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China's premier air show wows spectators - but the West won't have liked seeing Russia's jets

Outgoing US President Joe Biden is set to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping today for what is likely to be his last time as US president.

The two leaders are expected to hold talks on the sidelines of a meeting of Asia-Pacific leaders in the Peruvian capital, Lima.

It comes against the backdrop of increasing tension in the US-China relationship with a potential trade war looming under a Trump presidency, several China hawks tapped for US cabinet positions and China’s growing status among global south countries as an emerging leader of an alternative world order.

This week China was focused on events in the southern city of Zhuhai.

First there was a car ramming attack at Zhuhai’s sports stadium which left 25 people dead. A shocking event that was heavily censored in China.

Less than an hour’s drive away the country was holding its premier air show.

It was a military enthusiast’s dream, and not even intermittent rain could keep the crowds of tens of thousands of people away from relishing in the roar of jets in the skies above Zhuhai.

China’s fighter jet fleet

One of the main drawcards was China’s newest stealth fighter the J-35A. It will join the country’s J-20 in service for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).

The J-10C was China’s aerobatics star of the show. There were daily displays of its prowess in sky-high manoeuvres and formations that impressed onlookers, leaving a streak of colours across the cloudy rain-clogged sky.

China’s military modernsiation programme is continuing apace

It boasts the largest navy in the world and the largest armed forces by active-duty personnel.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Airforce is developing fast too.

Dr Nicole Leveringhaus, a China security expert from King’s College London, says: “China started with very little. It was devastated by wars on many fronts in the 30s and 40s. Its defence industry was depleted. In 70-plus years it’s built itself up and now we’re seeing the results.

“It’s an impressive feat to go from a bloated land-based peasant guerrilla army to what it has to today.”

Chinese pride and nationalism on display

Enjoying the air show spectacle, military fan Liu Liansong said: “I think the air show is great. It is a firm manifestation of the air force’s development from scratch. We as Chinese people feel very proud.”

The air show included massive exhibition halls of military hardware, from drones to robotics, firearms and mock missiles. Merely getting from one end of the venue to the other through densely packed crowds was a mission.

Russia in the air

The other crowd puller this week was Russia’s aerobatic air force unit, performing daily theatrics at dizzying speeds.

It is another sign of the deepening ties between China and Russia.

One Russian tourist and recreational pilot, Yulia, told Sky News: “Both sides are looking for good communication in business, aviation and in many spheres including tourism.”

The secretary of Russia’s security council and former defence minister Sergei Shoigu also visited the air show, viewing both Chinese and Russian-made jets.

In Beijing, secretary Shoigu was quoted by Russian state media as saying: “I see the most important task as countering the policy of ‘dual containment’ of Russia and China pursued by the United States and its satellites.”

The West is increasingly frustrated by China’s support of Russia. The US has sanctioned two Chinese companies, accusing them of being involved in the production of Russian aerial drones used on the battlefield.

China insists it is not supplying weapons to Russia.

One of the companies, Xiamen Limbach Aircraft Engine Co, had a small stand in one of the exhibition halls. Its representatives declined Sky News’ request for an interview.

Tariff war brewing

Despite the raw military might on display in Zhuhai, in China there is uncertainty and unease about what an impending Donald Trump presidency will mean for global trade.

President-elect Trump has threatened blanket tariffs of up to 60% on Chinese products exported to the US.

This would be a serious blow to China’s target GDP growth and comes at a time when the country’s economy faces deep-set challenges.

At the other end of the country, in Beijing analysts are weighing up the impact of possible tariffs and the Chinese government’s options to respond.

Senior Asia analyst Chim Lee, from The Economist Intelligence Unit, is not optimistic that a US-China agreement to minimise the damage can be reached.

“I think both sides have recognised that the era of making deals is passed,” Mr Lee said.

“We’re going to see China starting with some targeted measures, tariffs it feels more comfortable to impose,” he explained. “But there are also areas where China is starting to be a bit more aggressive.”

This action could include export controls on China’s production of critical minerals and retaliatory tariffs on US agriculture exports.

Trade competition, military posturing and complicated geo-political alliances have set the stage for a challenging next phase in US-China relations.

World

Pictures show moment Israeli bomb exploded at Beirut apartment block

Published

13 hours ago

November 15, 2024

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Pictures show moment Israeli bomb exploded at Beirut apartment block

New pictures show the moment of impact as an Israeli missile hit a Beirut apartment block and exploded.

The block was one of five buildings destroyed by airstrikes on Friday alone.

Israel launched airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut in a fourth consecutive day of intense attacks.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

An Associated Press photographer captured a sequence of images showing an Israeli bomb approaching and hitting a multi-storey apartment building in Beirut’s Tayouneh area.

Richard Weir, a senior crisis, conflict and arms researcher at Human Rights Watch, reviewed the close-up photos to determine what type of weapon was used.

“The bomb and components visible in the photographs, including the strake, wire harness cover, and tail fin section, are consistent with a Mk-84 series 2,000-pound class general purpose bomb equipped with Boeing’s joint directed attack munition tail kit,” he told AP.

Deadly strikes as bombardment stepped up

Israel stepped up its bombardment this week – an escalation that has coincided with signs of movement in US-led diplomacy towards a ceasefire.

The Israeli military said its fighter jets attacked munitions warehouses, a headquarters and other Hezbollah infrastructure. It issued a warning on social media identifying buildings ahead of the strikes.

Meanwhile, an Israeli airstrike killed five members of the same family in a home in Ain Qana in the southern province of Nabatiyeh, Lebanon’s state media said.

The report said a mother, father and their three children were killed but didn’t provide their ages.

Three other Israeli strikes killed six people and wounded 32 in different parts of Tyre province on Friday, also in south Lebanon, the report said.

Video footage also showed a building being struck and turning into a cloud of rubble and debris that billowed into Horsh Beirut, the city’s main park.

More than 3,200 people have been killed in Lebanon during 13 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah – most of them since mid-September.

About 27% of those killed were women and children, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.

Israel dramatically escalated its bombardment of Lebanon from September, vowing to cripple Hezbollah and end its barrages in Israel.

Friday’s strikes come as Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister has asked Iran to help secure a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hezbollah.

The prime minister appeared to urge Ali Larijani, a top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, to convince the militant group to agree to a deal that could require it to pull back from the Israel-Lebanon border.

Iran is a main backer of Hezbollah and for decades has been funding and arming the Lebanese militant group.

On Thursday, Eli Cohen, Israel’s energy minister and a member of its security cabinet, said that prospects for a ceasefire with Lebanon were the most promising since the conflict began.

The Washington Post reported Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was rushing to advance a Lebanon ceasefire to deliver an early foreign policy win to his ally, US President-elect Donald Trump.

World

Elon Musk hints 80-hour-a-week DOGE job for ‘high-IQ revolutionaries’ will be unpaid

Published

17 hours ago

November 15, 2024

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Elon Musk hints 80-hour-a-week DOGE job for 'high-IQ revolutionaries' will be unpaid

“Super high-IQ revolutionaries” who are willing to work 80+ hours a week are being urged to join Elon Musk’s new cost-cutting department in Donald Trump’s incoming US government.

The X and Tesla owner will co-lead the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

And in a post on X, the official DOGE account put out a call to arms for people to sign up and help “dismantle government bureaucracy”.

The post said: “We are very grateful to the thousands of Americans who have expressed interest in helping us at DOGE.

“We don’t need more part-time idea generators.

“We need super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting.

“If that’s you, DM this account with your CV. Elon & Vivek will review the top 1% of applicants.”

In a reply to an interested party, Mr Musk suggested the lucky applicants would be working for free.

“Indeed, this will be tedious work, make lost of enemies & compensation is zero,” the world’s richest man wrote.

“What a great deal!”

When announcing the new department, President-elect Donald Trump said Mr Musk and Mr Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies”.

Mr Musk has previously made clear his desire to see cuts to “government waste” and in a post on his X platform suggested he could axe as many as three-quarters of the more than 400 federal departments in the US, writing: “99 is enough.”