BORIS Johnson still does not believe he broke Covid rules – despite being fined by the Metropolitan Police for attending a lockdown party.

The Prime Minister insists he was exempt from his own coronavirus laws, according to Downing Street insiders.

The Tory leader is preparing to face MPs for the first time since being hit with a Fixed Penalty Notice over his birthday bash held in the Cabinet room in June 2020, while coronavirus restrictions were in place.

An ally of Johnson told the Times that he accepts “mistakes were made”, but expected the Tory leader to tell MPs there was “always an exemption for work and people were working in close proximity in No 10 for very long hours”.

The source continued: “If you’re going from meeting to meeting and it’s something at 2pm in the afternoon, people wouldn’t particularly call that a party.”

They added that from the PM’s “point of view it’s his place of work” and that he was “going to events in a work capacity”.

“That is the way he will present it, and a lot of people understand this,” the insider said.

The National: A group of police officers walk through Downing Street, in Westminster, London, during a protest outside the gates. PA Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 13, 2022. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak have been fined as part of a

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Johnson is reported to be preparing to make a statement in the Commons once MPs return to Westminster following the Easter recess.

The Times reported that the Prime Minister was set to focus on Ukraine, the cost-of-living crisis, and a trip to India which will focus on defence and trade.

As well as addressing MPs in the Chamber, the Conservative chief is expected to speak to a meeting of the entire parliamentary party on Tuesday evening.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, is also expected to decide if to allow a vote on whether to refer Johnson to the Privileges Committee – which would decide whether he had misled the House over his partygate explanations.

Johnson was also accused over the weekend of not only attending a leaving party for his former communications chief Lee Cain on November 13, 2020, but instigating the do.

There have also been reports that pictures could emerge of the Tory leader pouring drinks at the bash.

Downing Street declined to comment.

Energy minister Greg Hands Boris Johnson will “have his say” on partygate in Parliament this week.

Put to him that this was “not exactly a full-throated backing” of Johnson, and asked if it would be right for the PM to resign if pictures of him “pouring drinks” at a party were to emerge in the coming days, Hands told Sky News said: “I do strongly back the Prime Minister.

“I think the Prime Minister is getting on with the job, he’s delivered, and the Government has delivered, in anything from the vaccination programme through (to) the strong support for Ukraine.

“There is a police investigation going on and we’ll have to see what develops, but as I say the Prime Minister will be in Parliament this week, explaining and facing questions from MPs about what has happened.”