Watch excruciating exchange as Boris Johnson dodges Partygate questions 17 times
Boris Johnson will lose the support of at least two cabinet ministers if he is fined for breaching his own coronavirus laws, according to a report.
Allies of the prime minister have said that he will not resign if he is handed a fixed penalty notice (FPN) for attending parties in Downing Street.
But a source close to a member of the cabinet told The Times: “If he gets an FPN he’ll have to go. How can you have a prime minister who has been found guilty of breaking the law?”
A minister and ally of another cabinet member said his position would be made “extremely difficult” if police found he had broken regulations.
Meanwhile, Liz Truss will meet with EU officials to seek agreement over how to implement the Northern Ireland Protocol of the Brexit deal.
The foreign secretary said a settlement of the fraught issue would allow both sides to “focus on external issues” such as the Ukraine crisis.
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There should be a “real high bar to get rid of any prime minister”, a business minister has said.
Paul Scully said he needed to “see the context” before he made any decision on Boris Johnson’s future over the Partygate saga.
Asked about an alleged gathering for Mr Johnson’s birthday, Mr Scully said: “I understand this is one that’s not actually being investigated by the police… so in terms of lawbreaking, that’s not going to meet the reach the threshold of evidence.
“But nonetheless, that’s what I mean about context, that’s why I want to see the Sue Gray report, see what the police find and then we can work through… have that conversation at that point.
“I’m going to wait until I see context before I really make any more judgment on it.”
Thomas Kingsley21 February 2022 08:35
UK and EU set for NI Protocol meeting in Brussels today
The body which oversees the Northern Ireland Protocol will meet in Brussels later as efforts continue to agree on how to implement the deal.
The Joint Committee is chaired by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič. Their officials have been engaged in technical talks since October.
However, there is not expected to be an announcement of a major breakthrough on Monday.
The protocol is the Brexit deal which prevents a hard Irish border by keeping Northern Ireland inside the EU’s single market for goods. The talks were formerly led by Brexit minister Lord David Frost before he resigned in December over the government’s Covid strategy
Thomas Kingsley21 February 2022 08:26
Boris Johnson refuses 17 times to answer questions about Downing Street lockdown parties
Boris Johnson refused 17 times to answer questions about rule-breaking lockdown parties at Downing Street in an excruciating interview broadcast on Sunday morning.
The prime minister was grilled on the subject for a total of 11 minutes by a BBC presenter but refused to say what had happened or whether he felt ashamed – despite there being no obvious legal barrier to him doing so.
Repeatedly pushed on the matter during the interview the prime minister attempted to change the subject many times, and at other points simply refused to answer.
Our policy correspondent, Jon Stonehas the full story below:
Thomas Kingsley21 February 2022 08:18
Boris Johnson will ‘have to go’ if found guilty of Covid breaches
Boris Johnson will lose the support of at least two cabinet ministers if he is fined for breaching his own coronavirus laws, according to a report.
Allies of the prime minister have said that he will not resign if he is handed a fixed penalty notice (FPN) for attending parties in Downing Street during lockdown.
But a source close to a member of the cabinet told The Times “If he gets an FPN he’ll have to go. How can you have a prime minister who has been found guilty of breaking the law?”
A minister and ally of another cabinet member said his position would be made “extremely difficult” if police found he had broken regulations.
The prime minister is awaiting the conclusion of a police investigation into claims he broke Covid laws on several occasions.
He yesterday refused 17 times to answer questions about rule-breaking lockdown parties at Downing Street in an excruciating interview on the BBC.
Foreign office minister James Cleverly rejected suggestions Mr Johnson should resign when asked on Sunday, saying Britain did not need a “vacuum at the centre of government” amid current crises in Ukraine and in the NHS.
Liam James21 February 2022 08:13