Boris Johnson tells MPs to delay new Partygate probe amid claims gathering to celebrate Dominic Cummings’ departure was ‘council of war’ to discuss replacement
- The Prime Minister told reporters he would lead the Tories at the next election
- It comes after he ordered his MPs to delay a new investigation into Partygate
- Mr Johnson could face a further fine for another event in November 2020
- It is alleged this was a party to celebrate the departure of Dominic Cummings
Boris Johnson vowed last night to lead the Tories into the next election – as he ordered his MPs to delay a new probe into Partygate.
Speaking to reporters on a flight to India, he said he would ‘of course’ contest the national poll in 2024 and suggested voters now wanted politicians to focus on ‘the issues that matter’ such as the economy.’
Pressed on whether there were no circumstances under which he would consider resigning, Mr Johnson said: ‘Not a lot that spring to mind at the moment.
‘But if you want to sketch some out I’m sure you could entertain your viewers with some imaginary circumstances in which I might have to resign, but I don’t propose to go into them, I can’t think of them right now.
‘What the people of this country want is for the Conservative Government to get on with the job, and in particular get on with attracting jobs to this country,’ he insisted.
But No 10 was last night forced to abandon efforts to kill off Labour plans for an inquiry into whether the Prime Minister deliberately misled parliament over the extent of lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street.
Tory whips warned that dozens of their MPs were threatening to abstain on today’s vote on the issue after Labour said it would use election literature to ‘name and shame’ those who tried to block an inquiry.
Boris Johnson vowed last night to lead the Tories into the next election – as he ordered his MPs to delay a new probe into Partygate. Speaking to reporters on a flight to India, he said he would ‘of course’ contest the national poll in 2024 and suggested voters now wanted politicians to focus on ‘the issues that matter’ such as the economy’
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson waves as he boards a plane at Stansted Airport, northeast of London, on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, for a visit to India
Boris Johnson has refused to resign over Partygate, and was forced to abandon plans to delay a new investigation into his actions last night
In a compromise move, ministers instead tabled an amendment that would defer a decision on whether to hold another inquiry until the police have completed their investigations and Whitehall ethics chief Sue Gray has delivered her verdict.
The move is likely to mean no further inquiry can be held for now.
However, it risks the Government having to hold a potentially difficult vote some weeks or months down the line when Mr Johnson may have received further fines – and flak.
Mr Johnson’s aides are braced for him to receive multiple fixed penalty notices, having already been handed one for the gathering for his 56th birthday.
He is thought to have been at six of the 12 events under investigation by Scotland Yard.
When MPs vote on Thursday, Conservatives will be urged to back the amendment to delay making a decision on whether to launch an inquiry until all other investigations finish.
Mr Johnson sought to justify the position, which comes after Tory MP Craig Whittaker called for him to refer himself to an investigation to end the saga.
Asked why he will not submit himself to an inquiry if he has nothing to hide, Mr Johnson said: ‘I think the best thing is if the investigation is concluded.
‘There’s a police investigation that has not concluded. We have to wait for that and then for Sue Gray to have her final say.’
Pressed if he would back one after that point, he said: ‘I think we need to wait and see where it gets.’
A Labour source said: ‘Tory whips obviously knew that they couldn’t vote this down.
‘They clearly haven’t learnt a thing from the mess they got into over Owen Paterson.
‘Boris Johnson is trying to rig the rules to deflect from his own law breaking. Any Tory MP who votes for (the amendment) is voting for a cover up.’
Prime Minister Boris Johnson (second left) in the House of Commons where he made a statement to MPs following the announcement that he is among the 50-plus people fined so far as part of the Metropolitan Police probe into Covid breaches in Government
Mr Johnson told MPs an alleged party to celebrate the departure of Dominic Cummings (pictured) was actually a meeting to find his replacement
The Prime Minister could receive a second fine from police over the event which was held when Mr Cummings quite after losing a power struggle with Mr Johnson’s wife, Carrie (pictured)
The intervention came as it emerged he has told Tory MPs that an alleged party to celebrate the departure of Dominic Cummings was actually a ‘council of war’ to discuss his replacement.
An event in Mr Johnson’s Downing St flat on November 13, 2020 – the day Mr Cummings quit after losing a power struggle with Mr Johnson’s wife Carrie – is one of 12 under investigation.
Mrs Johnson is said to have held a ‘victory party’ to celebrate the chief aide’s departure.
Officials are reported to have told Miss Gray that music and dancing were heard from the Prime Minister’s flat.
But Tory sources said Mr Johnson described the gathering as a ‘work event’ when answering questions from Tory MPs behind closed doors.
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