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

Deadly Russian strikes condemned as ‘savage’ – as dozens more injured in Ukrainian city

Published

32 mins ago

June 7, 2025

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Deadly Russian strikes condemned as 'savage' - as dozens more injured in Ukrainian city

At least four people have been killed in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv after a series of Russian attacks.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described one of the attacks as a “savage killing”, saying dozens of people had been injured.

It comes after Kyiv embarrassed Moscow when it launched a daring drone raid deep inside Russia last weekend, destroying dozens of bombers.

Meanwhile, attempted US-led peace talks between the two appear to be floundering.

During the attacks on Saturday, Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said: “Kharkiv is currently experiencing the most powerful attack in the entire time of the full-scale war.”

The first wave of the Russian strike was a large drone-and-missile attack in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Nightly attacks from Moscow have become a routine part of the conflict.

At least three people died and 21 others were injured. There are reports that some people remain trapped underneath the rubble.

Then, in the afternoon, Russia dropped aerial bombs on the city centre, killing at least one person and wounding more.

Ukraine and Russia also accused one another of trying to sabotage a planned prisoner exchange.

Residents reckon with Russian strikes

As emergency workers fought fires at the attack sites in Kharkiv, residents had to deal with the fallout of strikes that could have claimed their lives.

Alina Belous tried to extinguish flames with buckets of water to rescue a young girl trapped inside a burning building, as she called out for help.

“We were trying to put it out ourselves with our buckets, together with our neighbours,” she said.

“Then the rescuers arrived and started helping us put out the fire, but there was smoke and they worried that we couldn’t stay there.

“When the ceiling started falling off, they took us out.”

Vadym Ihnachenko said he initially thought it was a neighbouring building going up in flames – not his own.

He was forced to flee after seeing smoke coming from his building’s roof.

Diplomatic efforts stall

Several other areas in Ukraine were also hit, including the regions of Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and the city of Ternopil, Ukrainian foreign minister Andriy Sybiha said.

Russia acknowledged the attacks, but not the deaths, saying it had targeted military sites, while pictures show apartment blocks on fire.

The regional governor, Oleh Syniehubov, said children were among those injured in the first attack.

While a US-led diplomatic push for peace has led to two rounds of direct peace talks between delegations from Russia and Ukraine, they delivered no significant breakthroughs.

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Later on Saturday, Russia and Ukraine also accused each other of endangering plans to swap 6,000 bodies of soldiers killed in action.

This had been agreed during peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey, on Monday.

World

Elon Musk post claiming that Donald Trump appears in Epstein files removed from X

Published

4 hours ago

June 7, 2025

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Elon Musk post claiming that Donald Trump appears in Epstein files removed from X

Elon Musk’s social media post claiming Donald Trump is in files relating to the disgraced paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has been removed.

The tech billionaire made the allegation on X as he traded blows with the US president in a dramatic public row.

In the post, which now appears to have been deleted, Musk said: “@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.

“Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.”

He gave no evidence for the claim, which was dismissed by the White House – with the post disappearing from his social media platform by Sunday.

Users clicking on the message – first posted on Thursday – were instead greeted with: “Hmm…this page doesn’t exist. Try searching for something else.”

Epstein killed himself in his jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking minors.

JD Vance has his say

Amid the fallout, vice president JD Vance said Musk was making a “huge mistake” going after Mr Trump but characterised him as an “emotional guy” who got frustrated.

He made the comments in an interview with comedian and podcaster Theo Von – one of the “manosphere” influencers the Trump team targeted to gain votes with young men during the election.

“I hope that eventually Elon comes back into the fold. Maybe that’s not possible now because he’s gone so nuclear,” Mr Vance said.

He also claimed that such outbursts “happen to everyone”, adding: “I’ve flown off the handle way worse than Elon Musk did in the last 24 hours.”

‘Big ugly spending bill’

Musk and Mr Trump’s relationship broke down publicly on Thursday, just days after the Tesla and SpaceX chief executive left his role as a special government employee.

In a fiery exchange, Musk posted a series of messages on X criticising the president’s signature tax and spending bill as a “big ugly spending bill”.

President Trump posted on Truth Social, saying Musk had been “wearing thin” and claimed he “asked him to leave” his government position – something Musk denied.

Musk then hit back with his claim about the US president appearing in the Epstein files.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the comment in a statement.

“This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted,” she said.

“The president is focused on passing this historic piece of legislation and making our country great again.”

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The spat hit Tesla shares, which closed down 14.3% on Thursday, losing about $150bn (£111bn) in value.

In an interview with ABC News, Mr Trump was asked about reports a phone call was scheduled between him and Musk on Friday.

He reportedly said: “You mean the man who has lost his mind?”

World

Kilmar Abrego Garcia: Man wrongly deported from US to El Salvador has been returned to face criminal charges

Published

22 hours ago

June 7, 2025

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Kilmar Abrego Garcia: Man wrongly deported from US to El Salvador has been returned to face criminal charges

A man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration has been returned to the US to face criminal charges.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia was charged in an indictment filed in federal court in Tennessee with conspiring to transport illegal immigrants into the US, attorney general Pam Bondi said on Friday.

Court records have shown the indictment was filed on 21 May, more than two months after he was deported from the US under a controversial 18th-century wartime law.

In a statement, Abrego Garcia’s lawyer Andrew Rossman said it would now be up to the US judicial system to ensure he received due process.

“Today’s action proves what we’ve known all along – that the administration had the ability to bring him back and just refused to do so,” he said.

Salvadoran Abrego Garcia, 29, was deported from Maryland despite an immigration judge’s 2019 order granting him protection after finding he was likely to be persecuted by local gangs if he was returned to his native country.

The indictment alleges Abrego Garcia worked with at least five co-conspirators to bring immigrants to the US illegally and transport them from the border to other destinations in the country.

On Friday, Ms Bondi outlined the charges at a news conference, saying: “The grand jury found that over the past nine years, Abrego Garcia has played a significant role in an alien smuggling ring.

“He made over 100 trips, the grand jury found – smuggling people throughout our country… MS-13 [international criminal gang] members, violent gang terrorist organisation members… throughout our country.

“He will be prosecuted in our country, sentenced in our country if convicted and then returned after completion of his sentence.”

Ms Bondi said Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele agreed to return Abrego Garcia to the US after American officials presented his government with an arrest warrant.

Democrat senator Chris Van Hollen travelled to El Salvador in April to meet Abrego Garcia, arguing his constitutional rights to due process were being ignored.

Critics of Donald Trump have pointed to the deportation of Abrego Garcia as an example of the excesses of the Republican president’s aggressive immigration policies.

US District Judge Paula Xinis has opened a probe into what, if anything, Mr Trump’s administration has done to secure his return, after his lawyers accused officials of stonewalling their requests for information.

Officials responded by alleging that Abrego Garcia was a member of the MS-13 gang – something his lawyers have strongly denied.

In a separate statement, Pam Bondi also attacked what she called the “Fake News Media” and repeated the – yet unproven – allegations against Abrego Garcia.

“The Justice Department’s Grand Jury Indictment against Abrego Garcia proves the unhinged Democrat Party was wrong, and their stenographers in the Fake News Media were once again played like fools.

“Abrego Garcia was never an innocent ‘Maryland Man’- Abrego Garcia is an illegal alien terrorist, gang member, and human trafficker who has spent his entire life abusing innocent people, especially women and the most vulnerable.”