Boris Johnson had the opportunity to “shut down” lockdown parties in No.10 but joined in instead, a Downing Street official has claimed.
The privileges committee has released a raft of bombshell messages and interview evidence ahead of Johnson’s grilling on Wednesday afternoon.
A panel of seven MPs will scrutinise the former prime minister over whether he misled parliament with statements he made to MPs about partygate.
The 110-page dossier from the privileges committee includes evidence from one No.10 official who claimed Johnson allowed the “culture to continue”.
The official said on February 7: “The former prime minister often saw and joined these gatherings, either he was invited by Spads (special advisers) or spotted them whilst walking up to his flat.
“The route he took down the corridor looks straight into the press room and vestibule so it’s impossible not to see.
“He had the opportunity to shut them down but joined in, made speeches, had a drink with staff.
“He could have taken the issue up with Martin Reynolds, his principal private secretary, to shut them down.
“He could see what was happening and allowed the culture to continue.”
Headlines From The Privileges Committee Dossier
- Simon Case, cabinet secretary, said he did not give Johnson assurances that Covid guidance was adhered to at all times in No 10.
- Lee Cain, Johnson’s former communications chief, said it would have been “highly unusual” for him not to have raised concerns with the PM about a garden party in No 10 during lockdown.
- Martin Reynolds, former principal private secretary, claimed Johnson agreed to delete a proposed line for PMQs stating that all guidance had been followed after a warning,
- Jack Doyle, Johnson’s communications chief, denied ever telling the then-prime minister that Covid-19 guidance was followed at all times in No 10.
The evidence also contained an explosive message from one official who was worried about leaks of the “PM having a piss up” in a discussion over a leaving party for his spokesman, James Slack.
The unnamed official wrote on April 28, 2021: “One thing - do you think there’s merit in pushing Slacky’s leaving thing?
“Martin’s worried about leaks of the PM having a piss up and to be fair I don’t think it’s unwarranted. Shout if you think I’m being paranoid.”
At the heart of the privileges committee investigation is whether or not Johnson “misled” the House of Commons about what had gone on in Downing Street.
Statements the committee will hone in on include one from December 2021 when he said no rules or guidance had been broken.
And another that he had been given “repeated assurances” that rules were not broken.
If the committee decides Johnson did mislead MPs - and the Commons backs suspending him for 10 days or more - he could face a by-election in his Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency.
However, there is a long process to get through before the saga potentially reaches that stage.
Yesterday Johnson submitted his so-called “defence dossier” - a 52 page document his team claim will exonerate him.
In it Johnson accepts that he misled MPs but insists his partygate denials were made “in good faith” based on what he “honestly” knew at the time.
Johnson’s dossier stresses that he relied on assurances he received from advisers.
“It is clear now, those assurances were wrong,” Johnson said.
The backbencher said his diary was “packed”, No.10 was a “complex environment” and he was constantly “in and out” of the building.
Johnson said his knowledge of what was going on was “imperfect and mostly second-hand”.
“A prime minister cannot be expected personally to investigate matters such as these,” he said.