Partygate: Boris Johnson's defence falls apart under any serious scrutiny. MPs must take a stand for truth – Scotsman comment

During the Partygate affair, Boris Johnson repeatedly assured MPs that Covid lockdown rules had been followed in Downing Street. However, a subsequent investigation by the police resulted in 126 fines, including one for the then Prime Minister.

These plain facts are hard to square with Johnson’s claims, while giving evidence under oath to the Privileges Committee of MPs yesterday, that he had not deliberately misled the House of Commons, for all his insistence that “hand on heart, I did not lie to the House” and that his denials were issued “in good faith” based on his knowledge at the time.

When shown a picture of himself, surrounded by colleagues and drinks at a leaving do, he admitted "perfect social distancing is not being observed", but still denied this was a breach of the rules and that the event was “absolutely essential for work purposes”. Absolutely essential? Really?

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Such mental gymnastics may be enough to convince Johnson’s most ardent fans, but few others. There was another blow for Johnson’s version of events when officials denied telling him that no guidance was broken at the parties before he made this claim in the Commons. So, what then was the basis for his repeated denials, beyond his inability to understand his own rules? Why did he deny the existence of rule-breaking parties he did not attend?

The fact that he has been sacked three times for dishonesty (latterly by his own Cabinet, leading to his resignation as Prime Minister) provides a simple explanation: Boris Johnson did what Boris Johnson does – he lied. Time for MPs to take a stand for truth, honesty and the integrity of politics.

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