Boris Johnson has twice refused to deny that he asked Sue Gray not to publish her controversial partygate report as he vowed not to resign.
The Prime Minister chose his words carefully as he blustered his way through a Downing Street press conference after facing opposition anger in the Commons and ahead of a showdown with his own MPs.
Asked again at the press conference whether he had if he suggested to Sue Gray that she not publish her report at all,the Prime Minister responded: “The terms of reference make it absolutely clear that Sue has got to publish a report and it’s entirely right that she has.”
The answer was an echo of an earlier Commons response to a question from Aaron Bell MP who asked the Prime Minister about media accounts that he asked Sue Gray not to publish the report.
In answer to the question, Johnson replied. “What Sue Gray has published is entirely for Sue Gray.”
Johnson also dodged questions on what went on in his Downing Street flat on the night of notorious ‘Winner takes it all’ party when Abba songs were heard in the street after the departure of Dominic Cummings as the PM’s special adviser.
He claimed the meeting was a “work event” which is the reason he to explain his presence at several other parties detailed in the Sue Gray report.
The PM told journalists he felt it was his “duty” to make an appearance at the leaving-dos of departing colleagues.
He told a press briefing: “When I was speaking to colleagues about the departure of another spad (special adviser), or Government adviser or official, it didn’t occur to me that this was anything except what it was my duty to do as Prime Minister during a pandemic.
“That’s why I did it, and that’s why I spoke as I did in the House of Commons. And, yes, as Sue has found and everybody can see and the evidence has shown, after I had been there things did not go well.”
He added: “For instance, a lot of the stuff that I saw in the report this morning was news to me. But I think it’s important that everybody who has and everybody who hasn’t been there, everybody who’s in any way involved in this whole sorry business, has got to learn the lessons, and that applies to everybody in the report.”
The Prime Minister is due before the 1922 committee of backbench Tory MPs at 5pm bolstered by near identical messages of online support from cabinet Ministers
In one example of loyalty Scottish Secretary Alister Jack issued a statement offering his full support.
Jack said: “I understand that people are angry about what happened in Downing Street. The Prime Minister has apologised again today, and made clear that he takes full responsibility for what went on in No 10. Lessons have been learned and changes have been made within No 10.
“The Prime Minister has my full support. He is tackling the rising cost of living at home and leading the international response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Now, we all need to get behind him and back him in dealing with these important issues.”
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