Boris Johnson will face a “make or break” grilling by the House of Commons committee of privileges on Wednesday.
MPs have been doing their own investigations into Partygate and they now have a 52-page defence from the former prime minister.
But there are discrepancies between the various accounts that will need to be examined.
Here are some of the questions the committee could ask.
1. After discovering he had misled MPs, did Johnson correct the parliamentary record as quickly as he could?
2. Why did he say all guidance was followed completely in No 10 on 1 December 2021 – when he was never told this by advisers?
3. What happened at the event in his flat (now known as the “Abba party”), and was it really a work meeting?
4. And when he denied there were any parties in Downing Street on 17 November 2020, was that misleading the Commons – given that fines were issued for a leaving drinks held that day?
5. Does Johnson believe the police were wrong to fine him?
6. Will Johnson accept the findings of the committee’s inquiry and any sanction recommended?
7. Why did Johnson’s principal private secretary question “whether it was realistic to argue that all guidance had been followed at all times, given the nature of the working environment in No 10”?
8. Does Johnson believe the Sue Gray report still stands, given she has now been offered a job with the Labour party?
9. Did Johnson’s senior advisers Dominic Cummings and Lee Cain warn him that the “BYOB” garden party might have been against the rules?
10. Does Johnson accept he set the tone for what happened at No 10, and that by condoning these events others may have been dissuaded from raising concerns?
