Boris Johnson ‘very much’ looking forward to partygate grilling by MPs as he says committee has ‘not a shred of evidence’
Boris Johnson has said he is “very much” looking forward to appearing before MPs investigating whether he knowingly misled parliament over partygate.
The former prime minister earlier on Tuesday said he accepts he misled parliament over partygate but insisted his statements were made “in good faith”.
On the eve of his appearance in front of the privileges committee on Wednesday, he said: “I look forward very much to the committee session tomorrow.
“I believe that the evidence conclusively shows that I did not knowingly or recklessly mislead parliament.
“The committee has produced not a shred of evidence to show that I have.”
Mr Johnson and his team are understood to be “very confident” ahead of his appearance.
The former prime minister earlier accused the privileges committee of having gone “significantly beyond its terms of reference” with its probe into whether he knowingly lied to MPs.
In his written evidence to the committee, published on Tuesday, Mr Johnson said it was “unprecedented and absurd” to claim that relying on assurances from “trusted advisers” was “in some way reckless”.
But the committee hit back with a scathing statement which said the submission contains “no new evidence” in his defence, and an earlier version had to be re-submitted because of “errors and typos”.
Boris Johnson to appear in front of the privileges committee from 2pm tomorrow – watch and follow live on Sky News
Boris Johnson pictured at one of the Downing Street gatherings
The committee launched its probe 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.
The report criticised the culture that existed “at the heart of government” at a time when the rest of the country was ordered to follow strict social distancing guidelines.
Mr Johnson said he accepts 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,” he added.
Other key points in Mr Johnson’s evidence:
• Mr Johnson insisted that other than the “assertions of the discredited Dominic Cummings”, his former aide, there is “not a single document that indicates that I received any warning or advice that any event broke” the rules
• He rejected the committee’s belief that the evidence strongly suggested breaches of coronavirus rules would have been “obvious” to him while prime minister, calling the allegation “illogical”
• He argued that some of those who attended the events “wished me ill and would denounce me if I concealed the truth”
• He criticised the “highly partisan tone and content” in the committee’s damning interim report
• Referring to allegations of rule-breaking, the ex-prime minister said that any lack of social distancing in the “old, cramped London townhouse” of Number 10 was not necessarily a breach of guidance
• He said that while he personally attended five of the events considered by the committee, he “honestly believed that these events were lawful work gatherings”
• While he said he accepts the conclusion of the Met Police investigation, he said that it “remains unclear” to him – and possibly Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – about why they were fined for breaching lockdown laws
• He did not deny joking that he was at “probably the most unsocially distanced gathering in the UK right now” during a boozy mid-pandemic leaving do, but said he did not recall making the remark
Mr Johnson conceded in his evidence that his statements to parliament “did not turn out to be correct”, but insisted he corrected the record at “the earliest opportunity”.
“I did not intentionally or recklessly mislead the House on December 1 2021, December 8 2021, or on any other date,” he said.
“I would never have dreamed of doing so.”
Members of the COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group called his defence “sickening” and called for him to resign as an MP.
Becky Kummer, a spokesperson for the group, said it’s “obvious” that the former leader “deliberately misled parliament”, adding: “Far worse though is the lies he deliberately told to families like mine, after failing to protect our loved ones. His claim that he did so in ‘good faith’ is sickening.”
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Partygate inquiry explained
The 52-page defence dossier was published a day before Mr Johnson faces a live grilling by the cross-party group of MPs in a hearing that could decide his political fate.
In response to his evidence, the committee said Mr Johnson’s legal argument “contains no new documentary evidence” and that it had to be resubmitted on Tuesday because of “a number of errors and typos”.
What is the committee investigating?
If Mr Johnson fails to convince the committee he did not deliberately mislead the Commons, he could be found to have committed a contempt of parliament.
A suspension of more than 10 days could result in a high-profile by-election in his Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat – though MPs will have to vote on any recommendations.
Boris Johnson at a gathering on 14 January 2021
In an interim report into its investigation published earlier this month, the committee said the evidence it had gathered “strongly suggests” it would have been “obvious” to Mr Johnson that COVID rules were being breached at Downing Street gatherings he attended.
It said it had identified at least four occasions where Mr Johnson may have misled MPs, which will form the backbone of its investigation.
The first instance was when Mr Johnson told MPs in December 2021 that no rules or guidance had been broken – when subsequent investigations by Ms Gray and the Met Police found otherwise.
The second occasion came when the former prime minister failed to tell the Commons about his own knowledge of gatherings where the rules or guidance had been broken, when evidence showed he had been present at some of them.
Mr Johnson could be suspended from the Commons if he is found to have misled the House
Thirdly, the committee said MPs may have been misled when Mr Johnson claimed on 8 December 2021 he had been given “repeated assurances” that rules were not broken.
However, these assurances only applied to one event on 18 December 2020 and not to compliance with the rules and guidance more generally.
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Finally, the committee said Mr Johnson gave the impression that he could only answer MPs’ questions once the investigation by Ms Gray had determined whether rules or guidance had actually been broken.
“While repeatedly making that statement to the House he appears to have had personal knowledge he did not reveal,” the committee said.
Read more:
The key parts of Boris Johnson’s partygate evidence
How he defends each of his partygate statements to parliament
As well as being required to be truthful to parliament at all times, MPs are also encouraged to correct the record at the earliest opportunity if they have inadvertently said something wrong.
The committee said in its interim findings that Mr Johnson “did not use the well-established procedures of the House” to correct the record, as is convention.
World
Number of dead in Gaza reaches 63,000, health ministry says – as Israel declares city a combat zone
More than 63,000 Palestinians have now reportedly been killed during Israel’s war in Gaza, a figure likely to rise after the IDF declared Gaza City a combat zone on Friday.
The number of people killed, reported by the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, follows nearly 23 months of war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing ahead with his plan to militarily occupy the Gaza Strip, starting with Gaza City, with the goal of destroying Hamas and returning the remaining Israeli hostages.
A mourner during the funeral of Palestinians killed while trying to receive aid. Pic: Reuters
Israel on Friday claimed the city was a Hamas stronghold and alleged that a network of tunnels remains in use despite several previous large-scale raids on the area.
Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee urged Palestinians to flee south, calling evacuation of the city “inevitable”.
But the head of the Red Cross warned it would be impossible to keep people safe during such a mass evacuation.
Many people in Gaza City would not be able to follow evacuation orders because they are starving, sick or injured, Mirjana Spoljaric said.
Palestinians are being urged to flee Gaza City by the Israeli military. Pic: Reuters
International humanitarian law requires Israel to ensure civilians have access to shelter, safety and nutrition,
when evacuation orders are issued.
“These conditions cannot currently be met in Gaza. This makes any evacuation not only unfeasible but incomprehensible under the present circumstances,” Ms Spoljaric added.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced it had targeted Abu Obeida, a spokesperson for Hamas’s armed wing, in a strike on Gaza City, according to Israeli media.
And Mr Netanyahu later said the body of hostage Idan Shtivi was retrieved from Gaza.
Read more:
UN staff pressure human rights chief to call Gaza a genocide
Tony Blair meets with Trump to discuss future of Gaza
A Palestinian child waits to receive food from a charity kitchen. Pic: Reuters
Four people were killed by Israeli gunfire on Saturday while trying to get aid in central Gaza, according to health officials at Awda hospital, where the bodies were brought.
Their deaths join the almost 1,900 people who the UN say have been killed while seeking food since 27 May, including more than 1,000 killed in the vicinity of the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites.
“Most of these killings appear to have been committed by the Israeli military,” a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Thameen Al-Kheetan said.
Israel has previously blamed Hamas militants for fomenting chaos and endangering civilians at aid sites.
The conflict began with a Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which saw around 1,200 people killed and about 250 people taken hostage.
Greta Thunberg has rejected accusations of antisemitism as she embarks on her second flotilla to Gaza.
The 22-year-old and other activists are setting sail on the largest flotilla to Gaza on Sunday, despite having been detained by Israeli forces and deported when they approached on a British-flagged yacht in June.
Israel later accused the group of activists of being antisemitic – an accusation Thunberg told Sky News’ Europe correspondent Siobhan Robbins she rejects.
“It is not antisemitic to say that we should not be bombing people, that one should not be living in occupation, that everyone should have the right to live in freedom and dignity, no matter who you are,” she said.
Greta Thunberg is embarking on a flotilla to Gaza again
In June, Thunberg and others were detained by the IDF on board a ship to Gaza
Before the dozens of boats carrying aid embarks from Spain, the activists called on governments to pressure Israel to allow their flotilla through the naval blockade.
Israel imposed the blockade on Gaza after Hamas took control of the coastal enclave in 2007 and has blocked numerous attempts to reach Gaza since, including a vessel in 2010 by its special forces in which at least nine Turkish activists were killed.
But Thunberg brushed concerns about the dangers of the trip aside, saying she was instead worried about the “silence of the world” in light of what is happening in Gaza.
“I’m terrified to see that we seem to have lost all the humanity that we have, and there seems to be no compassion left in the world amongst the vast majority of people who are able to sit on the couch and watch the genocide unfold that I am terrified for,” she added.
The new, bigger flotilla, will set off from Spain on Sunday
Greta Thunberg brushed concerns about the dangers of the trip aside
Israel has repeatedly denied claims of genocide and previously described the first ship, Madleen, as “the selfie yacht”, dismissing the aid ship as a propaganda stunt in support of Hamas.
In a statement to Sky News, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said: “The IDF enforces the security naval blockade on the Gaza Strip and is prepared for a wide range of scenarios, which it will act upon in accordance with the directives of the political echelon.”
Thunberg said: “It’s important that by doing so, by continuing this blockade, Israel is violating international law. And what we are trying to do is to use our rights to sail on international waters and to deliver humanitarian aid, which Israel is not allowed to block from coming in.”
Greta Thunberg aboard the Madleen on 2 June. Pic: Freedom Flotilla Coalition/Reuters
The Madleen was intercepted before reaching Gaza
The naval blockade has remained in place through conflicts, including the current war, which began when Hamas fighters attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive against Hamas has since killed almost 63,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, while part of the Strip is suffering from famine, according to a global hunger monitor – something Israel denies.
In March, Israel also sealed off Gaza by land, not letting in supplies for three months, claiming Hamas was diverting aid.
Palestinians wait to receive food from a charity kitchen. Pic: Reuters
Asked what would be her message to Hamas, which is still holding 48 hostages in Gaza, around 20 of whom Israel still believes to be alive, Thunberg said she does “not stand behind killing civilians”.
“But we translate that into reality and we’re seeing how many hundreds of thousands of people are dying in Gaza now, how many hundreds of thousands of people have been deprived [of] their dignity and justice and freedom by Israel,” she added.
Sky News’ Europe correspondent Siobhan Robbins interviewed Greta Thunberg in Spain
The IDF said in its statement: “Israel allows and facilitates the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Since the beginning of the war, over two million tons of aid have been delivered to Gaza – approximately one ton of aid per person on average.
“The last few months 9,000 aid trucks have entered through land crossings, as publicly reported.
“In recent weeks, approximately 300 aid trucks have entered daily, primarily carrying food, medical supplies, hygiene products, and other essential items according to needs identified by international organisations and the UN. Israel does not impose quantitative limits on aid trucks entering Gaza.
“Several significant measures have been implemented to expand aid volume and facilitate collection by the UN and international organisations. Recent data on aid deliveries demonstrates Israel’s commitment to facilitating humanitarian assistance to Gaza.”
Read more from Sky News:
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Thunberg, who is among hundreds of people from 44 countries on the flotilla, hopes their mission will bring symbolic aid and help open up a humanitarian corridor to deliver more aid.
She said the activists’ goal is to send “hope and solidarity to the people of Gaza, showing a clear signal that the world has not forgotten about you”.
World
US blocks Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other officials from United Nations’ annual meeting in New York
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other officials have been blocked from attending September’s annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio has revoked the US visas of delegates from the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), and denied others from applying for one.
It is the latest step by Donald Trump’s administration to target Palestinians with visa restrictions, and follows the suspension of a programme to allow injured children from Gaza to receive treatment in the US.
Mahmoud Abbas addressed the general assembly in 2024, but is barred from next month’s meeting. Pic: Reuters
“It is in our national security interests to hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace,” a statement from the US State Department said.
It added that, to be considered partners for peace, both groups “must consistently repudiate terrorism, and end incitement to terrorism in education, as required by US law and as promised by the PLO”.
Offensive will cause ‘intolerable deaths’
Several US allies, including France, Malta, and Australia have announced plans to recognise Palestine as a state at September’s United Nations General Assembly. Canada and the UK will too, unless Israel meets certain conditions.
Israel declared Gaza’s largest city a dangerous combat zone on Friday.
The army launched a planned offensive that has drawn international condemnation.
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Thick smoke rises from Gaza City after Israeli strikes
Foreign ministers from Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia and Spain released a joint statement saying the military operations in Gaza City will cause “intolerable deaths of innocent Palestinian civilians”.
Gaza latest: Israel’s Gaza City offensive condemned
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are sheltering in Gaza City while enduring famine.
An Israeli armoured vehicle in northern Gaza on Friday. Pic: AP
Palestinians ride a truck carrying humanitarian aid in Gaza City. Pic: AP
The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Riyad Mansour, said Mr Abbas had planned to lead the delegation to the UN meetings and was expected to address the general assembly at the general debate, which begins on 23 September.
He was also expected to attend a high-level meeting co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia on 22 September about a two-state solution, a broad idea involving Israel coexisting with an independent Palestinian state.
The State of Palestine is an observer member of the UN, meaning it can speak at meetings but not vote on resolutions.
The State of Palestine cannot vote on UN resolutions. Pic: AP
US decision ‘contravenes international law’
The Palestinian Authority “expressed its deep regret and astonishment” at the visa decision, calling it “a violation of US commitments” as the host of the UN, and claiming it “contravenes international law”.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the world body would be seeking clarification in the “hope that this will be resolved”.
Hundreds of diplomats left when Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu began speaking at the general assembly in 2024. Pic: Reuters
The State Department said that the Palestinian Authority’s mission to the UN, comprising officials who are permanently based there, would not be included in the restrictions.
Under a 1947 UN agreement, the US is generally required to allow access for foreign diplomats to the UN in New York.
But Washington has said it can deny visas for security, extremism and foreign policy reasons.
Read more from Sky News:
Analysis: Israel is killing a lot of journalists
Hospitals ‘overwhelmed’ by malnutrition cases
Tony Blair meets Trump over Gaza
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The death toll in Gaza has now risen to 63,025, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
It also reported five more malnutrition-related deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number during the war to 322, with 121 of them children.
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