Britain’s former PM Boris Johnson faces a grilling by lawmakers over whether he misled Parliament about rule-breaking parties in government buildings during the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement, a bullish Johnson said “the evidence conclusively shows that I did not knowingly or recklessly mislead Parliament.”Expected to last several hours, the hearing is a moment of peril for a politician whose career has been a roller coaster of scandals and comebacks. If the House of Commons Committee of Privileges concludes Johnson lied deliberately, he could be suspended or even lose his seat in Parliament.
Johnson acknowledged on Tuesday that his repeated reassurances to Parliament that the rules were followed at all times “did not turn out to be correct.” But he said he “did not intentionally or recklessly mislead” lawmakers. ”No cake was eaten, and no one even sang ‘Happy Birthday,’” he said of the June 19, 2020, celebration.
Police eventually issued 126 fines over the late-night soirees, boozy parties and “wine time Fridays,” including one to Johnson, and the scandal helped hasten the end of premiership.
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