Boris Johnson says ‘Nobody told me’ 10th park closure party wasn’t against the rules | politics news

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“No one told me” Boris Johnson said that Garden Party No. 10 during the lockdown was “a violation of the rules”.

The prime minister said he “humbly apologizes” to people for the miscalculation that occurred, but would not have proceeded with the event on May 20, 2020 if he believed he had broken the rules.

He said: “I’m saying emphatically that no one told me, no one said it was against the rules, doing something that wasn’t a business event because frankly, I can’t imagine why he would have gone ahead or would have been allowed to move forward if it was against the rules.

“My memory goes out to the park for 25 minutes, which I implicitly thought was a business occasion, talking to employees, thanking employees.

Then I went back to my office and got on with my work.

“I take full responsibility for what happened, nobody told me ‘This is an event against the rules, in violation of what we are asking everyone to do’.”

“I take full responsibility for what happened, but no one told me it was against the rules.”

Boris Johnson recalls what he remembered of an alleged Downing Street park party during lockdown.

Latest: https://t.co/lE3sSg2vbt pic.twitter.com/k50uWKeYmD

– Sky News (@SkyNews) January 18, 2022

He added that this is exactly what he told the investigation of senior civil servant Sue Gray.

Pat: I should have told people to go home

Johnson admitted on reflection that he “should have looked around and told people to go home” after realizing it was not a business occasion.

He said he wanted to “reiterate my apologies for the wrong judgments I have made” after expressing regret in the House of Commons last week after pressure mounted over his attendance at the event.

Asked about the two parties allegedly held on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral, Johnson looked down and looked sad.

“I am deeply and bitterly sorry that this happened, and I can only renew my apologies to Her Majesty the Queen and apologize for the wrong judgments that have been made and for which I bear full responsibility,” he said.

The prime minister also said he only saw the event email invitation from his right-hand man Martin Reynolds the other day, when it was revealed to the media.

Top Conservatives leave open idea for PM to resign if law is breached

Senior Cabinet members said they believed the prime minister was, but Dominic Raab and Rishi Sunak noted that the ministerial law was “clear on these matters”.

The blog says: “It is critical that ministers provide accurate and correct information to Parliament, and that any unintended error is corrected at the earliest opportunity.

Ministers who deliberately mislead Parliament are expected to submit their resignations to the Prime Minister.

When Chancellor Rishi Sunak was asked if he unequivocally supports the Prime Minister, he got up and left without answering.

Before that, asked if he believed the Prime Minister, he said: “Of course I do, the Prime Minister offered his understanding of this matter in Parliament last week and I will refer you to his words.

“As you know, Sue Gray is conducting an investigation into this matter and I fully support the Prime Minister’s request to be patient until this investigation is over.”

The chancellor said he would not “go into assumptions” after Cummings’ claim that Johnson lied to Parliament.

“The ministerial law is clear in these matters,” he added.

Raab, the deputy prime minister, told the BBC if a minister had lied and was intentional it would be “usually”, under ministerial law, a matter of resignation.

Johnson’s spokesman also said the law was “very clear when it comes to knowingly misleading the House” and that the prime minister “is in compliance with that, and we fully support it”.

Asked if the Prime Minister would resign if he misled Parliament, the spokesman said: “It is important not to jump forward.”

He also denied that Johnson ever lied to Parliament.

The investigation by Chief Civil Servant Sue Gray is set to conclude

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