EVIDENCE of Boris Johnson’s lockdown breaches and proof he lied to parliament about partygate is being sought by MPs investigating the scandal.
The Privileges Committee is conducting the latest probe into the Prime Minister’s lawbreaking during lockdown and hopes to determine whether he misled the House when he repeatedly claimed “all rules were followed” in Downing Street during the pandemic.
This assertion is at the heart of their investigation, as MPs led by Labour’s Harriet Harman will be examining whether it is plausible Johnson was unaware his Government’s Covid rules were being broken by him and under his watch.
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The committee met for the first time on Tuesday and unanimously elected Harman as chair.
It is requesting evidence from those who can shine a light on the extent of Johnson’s knowledge of rule-breaking in Downing Street and the Cabinet Office during lockdown.
The committee also wants to see any correspondence to or from Johnson which may indicate he had knowledge of illegal goings-on in Downing Street, which could prove he lied to parliament.
The deadline for submissions will have until July 29 and evidence can be submitted here.
Those who wish to submit evidence but remain anonymous can do so but the chair will need to be aware of the person’s identity as well as the committee’s staff.
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Anonymity will be granted subject to the “relevance and probity” of the evidence given.
The committee will be advised by distinguished former judge Ernest Ryder, who previously conducted a review into the fairness of the House of Commons standards system.
Johnson became the first sitting Prime Minister to be found to have broken the law when he, along with his wife Carrie and Chancellor Rishi Sunak were all fined £50 each for breaking Covid laws.
He has repeatedly denied he was aware rules were being broken and only narrowly survived a vote of no-confidence from Conservative MPs.
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