Johnson told career may be ‘toast’ for partygate but denies breaches
Boris Johnson has been warned his career could be “toast” if he’s fined over the partygate scandal.
The Prime Minister was questioned yesterday over the numerous breaches of the rules in a long session before the liaison committee in Westminster.
SNP MP Pete Wishart suggested the Prime Minister would be “toast” if he was hit with a fine.
Mr Johnson said: “I don’t in any way wish to minimise the importance of the issue and your point, but I just want to return to what I have said and that is, that would come under the category of running commentary, in my view.”
Pressed on whether he had broken the ministerial code and whether that would be a resignation issue, Mr Johnson said: “You’re just going to have to hold your horses and wait until the conclusion of the investigation when there will be a lot more clarity and I will be back before this committee and, I have no doubt, before the body of the House of Commons.”
Former Runrig musician Mr Wishart said: “I was in rock and roll for 15 years. I could never even start to compete and keep up with activities in No 10 during lockdown and the partying culture you created.”
Mr Johnson insisted: “Your question is a very good illustration of why it is important that we should wait until the conclusion of the investigation.”
The Prime Minister also appeared to refuse to accept that laws were broken after being pushed to agree “there has been criminality committed”, given Scotland Yard’s decision to issue 20 fixed-penalty notices.
He said: “I have been, I hope, very frank with the House about where I think we have gone wrong and the things that I regret, that I apologise for.
“But there is an ongoing investigation. I am going to camp pretty firmly on my position. I won’t give a running commentary on an ongoing investigation.”
The Prime Minister’s position puts him at odds with his deputy Dominic Raab, who said the Met’s decision to start sending out fixed penalty notices meant it was clear the law was breached.
On Ukraine, Mr Johnson said the UK has got to be “extremely energetic” in exposing lies from Russian president Vladimir Putin’s regime.
He explained: “One of the depressing things is the ruthlessness with which Putin tries to conceal the reality of what’s happening from the Russian population – and genuinely, you can ring and talk to Russian friends and they will seriously dispute what is going on in Ukraine. I’m afraid people are very vulnerable to the lies that Putin is telling and we have to be extremely energetic in exposing them.”
The Prime Minister also defended the UK’S refugee response in the face of criticism from across the opposition parties.
He said: “These numbers are climbing. There is no cap on the family reunion scheme, that’s already at the thick end of 25,000. That’s a pretty big town.”
Mr Johnson also promised to "intensify sanctions”, and that a ceasefire would not be enough to lift them.