Boris Johnson was savaged by former Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May in the Commons following the publication of a version of Sue Gray's report into 'partygate'.
The intervention of Mrs May today (January 31) was described as 'electric', 'savage' and 'brutal' by political commentators.
Mrs May said: “The Covid regulations imposed significant restrictions on the freedoms of members of the public. They had a right to expect their Prime Minister to have read the rules, to understand the meaning of the rules and indeed those around him to have done so too and to set an example in following those rules.
“What the Gray report does show is that Number 10 Downing Street was not observing the regulations they had imposed on members of the public, so either my right honourable friend had not read the rules or didn’t understand what they meant and others around him, or they didn’t think the rules applied to Number 10. Which was it?”
Mr Johnson replied: “No, Mr Speaker that is not what the Gray report says, I suggest that she waits to see the conclusion of the inquiry.”
The Mirror's Kevin Maguire said: "Theresa May goes for Johnson's jugular."
The policy editor for BBC Newsnight Lewis Goodall said it was "electric from Theresa May to PM."
While broadcaster and journalist Piers Morgan said: "Theresa May may just have finished Boris off. That was savage.... and coming from a former Tory PM in Parliament, devastating. "
The Spectators' political editor James Forsyth said: "Utterly brutal question from Theresa May. Asks if Boris Johnson and No 10 hadn’t read the rules or didn’t think they applied to them."
And the UK editor of ITV News said Mrs May had 'dropped a bomb'.
