As it happened: Boris Johnson questioned about partygate by Privileges Committee

Boris Johnson is insisting in his evidence to the Privileges Committee that the comments he made to the House of Commons about Partygate - that no rules were broken inside Number 10 - were what he believed to be true. These are his main arguments:

1. Johnson says he did not mislead Parliament because he did not lie. Instead, he truly believed Number 10 staff had “done their best” to implement social distancing guidelines. 

He has frequently pointed out that there were mitigations for workplace gatherings - which he says all of the events in question were - highlighting that the guidance states social distancing must be maintained “where possible”.

He says if there were times at these events where social distancing was not fully complied with, that these were momentary, human mistakes made due to it being difficult to maintain distance.

When addressing Parliament, Johnson argued, he was thinking of the fact that he believed that all Number 10 staff had done their best to follow the guidelines.

2. Johnson argues the reason there were slip-ups was because it was difficult to socially distance in Number 10.

He described the building as a “cramped, narrow, 18th century townhouse” where people were working at all hours of the day, seven days a week. “It was difficult to maintain perfect social distancing but we did our best,” he argued.

“We avoided physical contact. We gave way to each other in the corridors and on the stairs. We gave each other as wide a berth as we could. But it would have been impossible to have had a drill sergeant ensuring we were 2m apart at all times.”

This, to him, he said, is evidence of the government’s guidance being followed.

3. Johnson says his presence in rooms to “bid farewell” to departing staff was “necessary” for work purposes. 

When pressed by the Privileges Committee on why, if social distancing was difficult, work gatherings had to continue taking place, Johnson argued that much of Number 10’s work had to be done in person.

Confronting the pictures mentioned in which Johnson is seen raising a glass to departing staff, he said he viewed this as “absolutely necessary”. He described working during the pandemic as incredibly difficult, and that this was needed for lifting staff morale. He said it was his “duty” to thank those that had given public service during the pandemic.

4. Johnson says there is evidence that he did not believe he was misleading Parliament. 

The Privileges Committee is arguing that it would have been “obvious” to Johnson that there were rule breaches at events he attended, and therefore that he knowingly misled Parliament. But the former Prime Minister says it is “nonsense” because the notorious photos taken at these events were taken by Number 10’s official photographer.

He said: “To suggest there were illicit events in No 10 while allowing these events to be immortalised by an official photographer is staggeringly implausible. It seems to be the view of the committee and sadly many members of the public that they show me attending rule-breaking parties where no one was socially distancing. They show nothing of the kind.

“They show me giving a few words of thanks at a work event for a departing colleague. They show me with my red box passing on the way to another meeting or heading back into my flat to carry on working, often late into the night.

“They show a few people standing together – as permitted by the guidance – where full social distancing is not possible and where mitigating measures are taken. They show events which I was never fined for attending.”

Boris Johnson has been asked about a gathering on 14 January 2021. A photo shows a number of opened bottles of sparkling wine. He says this was a work event: "It wasn't just staff who were leaving who needed to be appreciated but staff who were there who needed to be motivated."

When asked if multiple bottles of alcohol were necessary for work, Johnson said it's customary to have a toast "to say farewell to people".

Boris Johnson has said that the leaving dos for various members of staff were "essential for work". He's also said these required alcohol because that was customary in Britain. I'm not sure doctors, nurses and other key workers would necessarily agree, or feel they could have had toasts to say farewell to colleagues.

When asked if he should have questioned the events, Boris Johnson has said "hindsight is a wonderful thing".

Boris Johnson is being questioned as to why he did not ask a government lawyer whether the rules had been followed. Johnson says he asked political advisers who attended the events, as they would be best placed to comment on whether the rules had been broken.

It's getting a bit feisty. Harriet Harman is asking Boris Johnson about when he told the House of Commons that he had been "given assurances that the rules were followed at all times". She says "would you not expect us to be a bit dismayed that it was not from senior civil servants".

One of Boris Johnson's communications directors, Jack Doyle, gave Boris Johnson a "line" in response to a Daily Mirror story, which was then used in the House of Commons. In written evidence taken by the Committee, Doyle said he had doubts they could show the events were in the rules.

Harman also questions why Johnson needed assurances from other people, when he was at the gatherings: "If I was going at 100mph and I saw the speedometer at 100mph, it would be a bit odd if I asked somebody if I wasn't because I had seen it with my own eyes." She says the House of Commons took that at face value, and it appears a bit "flimsy".

Johnson says he was answering about an event he wasn't at - the 18 December event when Allegra Stratton was filmed joking about a party. Johnson says he thinks it's fair to rely on senior advisers for guidance, and that Doyle never told him about his doubts.

Boris Johnson has effectively admitted that the Covid guidance was not enforced at Downing Street. The ex-Prime Minister has on a number of occasions been clear in differentiating between the rules, the legal Covid regulations, and the public health guidance.

Johnson said No 10 staff followed measures including avoiding physical contact and “we didn’t touch each other’s pens, we didn’t pass stuff to each other if we could possibly avoid it”.

Harriet Harman said: “Presumably people were passing drinks to each other because we have seen the picture.”

Johnson responded: “Of course, this is guidance. I’m not going to pretend it was enforced rigidly, but that’s explicitly what the guidance provides for.”

Boris Johnson has doubled down, saying that at all the events he attended - including the garden party, the birthday speech and leaving dos - followed the guidance, although not the rules. He said this in the House of Commons, so if the committee believe that he didn't think the guidance was followed they could find him in contempt of Parliament.

After almost three-and-a-half hours, Johnson's evidence is over. He said he "enjoyed it", then rowed back to saying it was a "useful discussion". We now await with baited breath for the findings of the committee, who could take weeks or even months to make their decision.