Sawt Falasteen - UK MPs to grill Johnson over damning 'Partygate' report

In an interim report released after eight months of work, parliament's "privileges" committee said the evidence so far undermined Johnson's pleas of innocence to the House of Commons.

"The evidence strongly suggests that breaches of (lockdown) guidance would have been obvious to Mr Johnson at the time he was at the gatherings," the report stated.

Described as a summary of the investigation so far ahead of Johnson's questioning, it added "there is evidence that the House of Commons may have been misled" on several occasions.

The committee summoned the ex-Conservative leader to give public evidence in the week beginning March 20.

Johnson, who resigned as prime minister last summer after "Partygate" and other scandals, said the report showed he was "vindicated" and had not "committed any contempt of parliament".

Johnson repeatedly denied in parliament that he or his staff had breached his own Covid lockdown laws by holding boozy gatherings in 10 Downing Street.

But police issued fines to dozens of Downing Street staff after a criminal probe, and Johnson became the first serving UK prime minister found to have broken the law over one of the gatherings.

The seven-member privileges committee comprises four Conservatives, two Labour MPs and a Scottish National Party lawmaker.

If it ultimately concludes that he deliberately misled the House of Commons, it could recommend various sanctions for all MPs to vote on.

They included a suspension of 10 sitting days or more, which would trigger a petition to oust Johnson as a lawmaker.

A by-election for his west London seat would then be held if 10 percent of registered voters there sign it.

The developments come as Johnson and his allies decry the news on Thursday that senior civil servant Sue Gray, who conducted the government's own probe into "Partygate", has quit to work for the leader of the opposition Labour party.

Linking the matter to the committee probe, Johnson said it was "surreal" the panel planned to rely on evidence "culled and orchestrated" by Gray.

Her report found "a failure of leadership and judgement" in Johnson's Downing Street operation over the controversy, but the committee insisted it had its own evidence.

It cited WhatsApp messages, including one from a top aide who said an excuse offered by staff instead "blows another great gaping hole in the PM's account".

H.Darwish--SF-PST