Boris Johnson’s legal fees could cost taxpayer more than £222,000, says top civil servant
The government could spend more than £222,000 of public money on legal advice for Boris Johnson as he faces an investigation into whether he deliberately misled parliament over what he knew about partygate, a senior civil servant has confirmed.
The Privileges Committee is looking into the former prime minister after his repeated denials to the Commons about lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street, which later were proved to have taken place over the pandemic.
Mr Johnson, his wife Carrie and then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak were among those fined by the police for taking part, with a total of 126 fixed penalty notices issued, covering at least eight events.
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The cross-party committee of MPs confirmed its investigation in April last year and has been gathering evidence since, with hearings expected to take place in the coming months.
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Boris Johnson has dismissed claims the chair of the BBC, Richard Sharp, helped him secure a £800,000 loan when he was prime minister
But as it covers a period when Mr Johnson was in office, he is entitled for his legal costs to be covered by the taxpayer.
Appearing in front of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) on Thursday, the Cabinet Office’s permanent secretary Alex Chisholm confirmed £222,000 had already been spent on providing legal advice to the ex-PM.
But asked if there was a cap on that price, he said no, and that the figure could increase depending on how long the investigation takes.
“At the moment we have estimated that it would be up to a figure of £200,000, which has been published – £222,000 to be precise,” said Mr Chisholm.
“We hope and expect that will be a maximum figure, but obviously we don’t want to anticipate and certainly could not regulate the conduct of the committee, which is entirely up to them.”
Alex Chisholm (left) and Oliver Dowden (right) appeared at the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee on Thursday
The Liberal Democrats condemned the government fund for Mr Johnson, deeming it a “cost-of-lying crisis”.
MP Wendy Chamberlain said: “People will be outraged that hundreds of thousands of pounds of their money will be used to defend a lying lawbreaker who disgraced the office of prime minister.
“Rishi Sunak needs to step in immediately, stop this fund and apologise for his government’s chaotic track record of defending the indefensible.”
Legal opinions
The contracts with Peters and Peters which have already been paid are published on the government website and cover legal advice from leading KC Lord Pannick.
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His first legal opinion was also published on the government’s website last September, claiming the Privileges Committee was adopting an “unfair procedure” and a “fundamentally flawed” approach.
But the committee rejected his claim, saying it was based on “a systemic misunderstanding of the parliamentary process and misplaced analogies with the criminal law”.
Lord Pannick has also given a second legal opinion on the inquiry, but this has not been published.
Appearing alongside Mr Chisholm at Thursday’s PACAC meeting, Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden agreed with MPs that it was “unusual” for such legal advice to be published and could not explain why the second opinion remained under wraps.
Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy has met Israel’s prime minister in an effort to secure a ceasefire deal in Gaza before the president-elect takes office on 20 January.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed details of the meeting with Steve Witkoff on Saturday, adding that the head of the Israeli Mossad intelligence agency has been deployed to Qatar in order to “advance” talks.
It was not immediately clear when David Barnea would travel to Doha for the latest round of indirect discussions between Israel and Hamas.
Earlier on Saturday, an Israeli official said some progress had been made, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, to reach a deal in Gaza.
Ronen Bar (left), director of Israel’s security agency, and David Barnea (right), head of Mossad, at a ceremony marking the 7 October Hamas attack. File pic: Reuters
The mediators are making renewed efforts to halt fighting in Gaza and free the remaining Israeli hostages held there before Mr Trump takes office.
A deal would also involve the release of some Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Families of Israeli hostages welcomed Mr Netanyahu’s decision to dispatch the officials, with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters describing it as a “historic opportunity”.
Mr Witkoff arrived in Doha on Friday and met the Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s foreign ministry said.
Egyptian and Qatari mediators received reassurances from Mr Witkoff that the US would continue to work towards a fair deal to end the war soon, Egyptian security sources said, though no further details were released.
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Israel launched its assault on Gaza after Hamas fighters stormed across its borders in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
Families of the roughly 100 hostages still held in Gaza are pressing Mr Netanyahu to reach a deal to bring their loved ones home.
Since then, more than 46,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials, with much of the area destroyed and gripped by a humanitarian crisis, with most of its population displaced.
Pope Francis has been honoured with America’s highest civilian award by President Joe Biden, who has described the pontiff as “a light of faith, hope, and love that shines brightly across the world”.
It is the first time Mr Biden, 82, has given the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction during his four years in office.
In a statement, the White House said the award is “presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavours”.
Mr Biden had been scheduled to present the medal to Pope Francis, 88, in person on Saturday in Rome on what was to be the final overseas trip of his presidency. But the president cancelled his visit to monitor the California wildfires.
The White House said Mr Biden bestowed the award during a phone call in which they also discussed efforts to promote peace and alleviate suffering around the world.
President Joe Biden presented Bono with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Pic: AP
Denzel Washington was also recognised. Pic: AP
Michael J Fox was bestowed with the honour. Pic: AP
The award can be presented with or without distinction.
Mr Biden presented the medal of freedom – without distinction – on 5 January to several people including fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton, humanitarian and U2 singer Bono, fashion designer Ralph Lauren and actors Michael J Fox and Denzel Washington.
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Mr Biden himself is a recipient of the award with distinction, recognised when he was vice president by then president Barack Obama in a surprise ceremony eight years ago.
Barack Obama presented Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction in 2017. File pic: AP
The citation for the pope’s honour said his “mission of serving the poor has never ceased”.
“A loving pastor, he joyfully answers children’s questions about God. A challenging teacher, he commands us to fight for peace and protect the planet. A welcoming leader, he reaches out to different faiths,” it added.
Ukraine has captured two North Korean soldiers fighting in Russia’s Kursk region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
The injured pair are now in Kyiv and communicating with the Security Service of Ukraine, the country’s domestic intelligence agency, he said.
Ukrainian special forces and paratroopers captured the North Koreans, Mr Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
“As with all prisoners of war, these two North Korean soldiers are receiving the necessary medical assistance,” he said.
“I have instructed the Security Service of Ukraine to grant journalists access to these prisoners.
“The world needs to know the truth about what is happening.”
Mr Zelenskyy said capturing the soldiers alive was “not easy”. He also claimed Russian and North Korean forces fighting in Kursk have tried to conceal the presence of North Korean soldiers, including by killing wounded comrades on the battlefield to avoid their capture and interrogation by Ukraine.
The post included images of the two men – one with a bandage around his jaw and the other around both hands and wrists – and what appeared to be a Russian military document.
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Ukraine’s security service SBU on Saturday provided further details.
It said one of those detained had no documents at all, while the other had been carrying a Russian military ID card in the name of a man from Tuva, a Russian region bordering Mongolia.
“The prisoners do not speak Ukrainian, English or Russian, so communication with them takes place through Korean translators in cooperation with South Korean intelligence,” a statement said.
One of the soldiers claimed he had been told he was going to Russia for training, rather than to fight against Ukraine, according to the SBU.
The agency added both men are being provided with medical care in line with the Geneva Conventions, and investigated “in cooperation with South Korean intelligence”.
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North Korean regular troops entered the war on Russia’s side in October, according to Ukraine and its Western allies.
US, South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence assessments suggest up to 12,000 North Korean combat troops have been sent by Pyongyang under a pact with Moscow.
They believe North Korea has also been supplying Russia with vast quantities of artillery shells.
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