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Boris Johnson today stubbornly refused to admit that lockdown laws were broken in Downing Street despite Partygate police handing out 20 fines.
In a toe-curling appearance before the Commons Liaison Committee, the PM repeatedly blanked questions about whether the rules had been breached.
Under fire from senior MPs, he insisted: ‘I been very clear I won’t give a running commentary on an ongoing investigation.
Keir Starmer goaded Boris Johnson today over why he has not quit after Partygate police found lockdown laws were broken.
The Labour leader launched a series of barbs at Mr Johnson over fines being issued as they faced off at a rowdy PMQs.
Pointing out that Mr Johnson had assured the House that regulations had not been breached in Downing Street, Sir Keir said: ‘Why is he still here?’
However, the premier shot back by branding Sir Keir a ‘human weather vane’, saying he had recently dropped resignation calls because of the ongoing Ukraine crisis.
‘The investigators must go on with their jobs but in the meantime we are going to get on with our job,’ Mr Johnson said.
The politicians also traded blows on the cost-of-living crisis during the bad-tempered session, with Sir Keir mocking the government’s claims to be cutting taxes and the PM blaming Labour for failing to invest in nuclear power.


Keir Starmer goaded Boris Johnson today over why he has not quit after Partygate police found lockdown laws were broken
Deputy PM Dominic Raab admitted in a round of interviews this morning that the police decision to issue a first batch of 20 fines meant lockdown laws had been broken in Whitehall.
Downing Street pointedly refused to confirm that was the case yesterday, as Mr Johnson waits nervously to find out whether he will receive a fixed penalty notice.
The PM faces another bruising time this afternoon when he grilled by the powerful cross-party Commons Liaison Committee.
At PMQs, Sir Keir said: ‘Talking of parties, Prime Minister, he told the House no rules were broken in Downing Street during lockdown. The police have now concluded there was widespread criminality.
‘The ministerial code says that ministers who knowingly mislead the House should resign. Why’s he still here?’
Mr Johnson replied: ‘Hang on a minute, we do at least expect some consistency from this human weathervane – it was only a week or so ago he was saying that I shouldn’t resign. What is his position?
‘Of course the Met, the investigators must get on with their job but in meantime we’re going to get on with our job.’
Sir Keir said: ‘There are only two possible explanations – either he’s trashing the ministerial code or he’s claiming he was repeatedly lied to by his own advisers, that he didn’t know what was going on in his own house and his own office. Come off it.
‘He really does think it’s one rule for him and another rule for everyone else, that he can pass off criminality in his office and ask others to follow the law.
‘That he can keep raising taxes and call himself a tax-cutter. That he can hike tax during a cost of living crisis and get credit for giving a bit back just before an election.
‘When is he going to stop taking the British public for fools?’


Boris Johnson replied: ‘This is the Leader of the Opposition who would have kept this country in lockdown… he has zero consistency on any issue. One thing we know is he’d like to take us back into the EU and take us back into lockdown if he possibly could.’
Mr Johnson delivered a string of jokes about Tory efforts to oust him last night as he hosted a lavish team-building dinner.
The PM entertained his MPs for a meal at a luxury central London hotel hours after Scotland Yard announced the first 20 fines for Partygate lockdown breaches.
Mr Johnson is said to have quipped that no-confidence letters are ‘elastic — they go in and you can pull them out’. He also admitted he is ‘more popular in parts of Kyiv than in parts of Kensington’ but vowed to ‘turn it round’.
The premier’s improved position after the Ukraine crisis erupted was underlined by the warm reception he received from the massed ranks of Tory MPs.
But as they arrived Conservatives were heckled by bereaved families of Covid victims shouting ‘off to another party are we?’
Source: Daily Mail