BORIS Johnson will face a double grilling from MPs on the Partygate row today after police issued 20 fines over lockdown breaking parties in No 10.
The PM will have a PMQs showdown at noon with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who is likely to press him on what he knew about Covid rule breaking.
He will then head to the Commons liaison committee at 3pm to face a further barrage of questions from backbenchers over the bashes in his own home.
Boris is under pressure from opposition MPs who say he misled parliament over the Partygate allegations and should resign as a result.
He told the Commons back in December that he had been “repeatedly assured there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken”.
The PM also insisted that “all guidance was followed completely” by staff inside Downing St in a statement to the chamber.
But the announcement by the Met Police that the first 20 fixed penalty notices have been issued raised questions about what he knew.
Boris is said to have been present at half a dozen of the gatherings under investigation though he is not one of those who has been fined so far.
Today his deputy Dominic Raab insisted the PM had not misled Parliament and was telling the truth at the time “to the best of his ability”.
He acknowledged that the issuing of penalty notices means that some staff working in No 10 during the lockdown had broken the law.
But he added: “I don’t think there was an intention to mislead. The PM in good faith updated Parliament on what he knows.
“To jump to say he deliberately misled parliament rather than answering to the best of his ability is not right.”
Mr Raab said “ultimately” the individuals who broke the law by attending the parties were responsible for their own actions.
But he added: “The PM has already taken responsibility for things that shouldn’t have happened in No 10.
“He has apologised for it, and more than that he has overhauled No 10 and that has already happened.
“Of course we wait to see the outcome of the conclusions of the Met process.”
PARTY PROBE
Earlier this year cops sent questionnaires to over 100 people including the PM demanding answers on their alleged partying.
Police are investigating a whopping 12 separate parties and get togethers in 2020 and 2021.
No10 aides and top civil servants are accused of flouting Covid rules to down booze, tuck into cheese and play party games in the Downing Street offices.
Those found to have breached the rules face being stung by a £200 fine.
The PM was at six of the alleged shindigs – but denies he has broken any rules.
Whitehall ethics enforcer Sue Gray attacked the “failure of leadership” in Downing Street in her damning – although partially redacted – Partygate report.
The scandal plunged Boris’ premiership into crisis and sparked frenzied speculation he could face a leadership challenge.
He has promised to tell the public if he gets a fine.
