It is a big day for Boris Johnson. The former prime minister’s political future is at stake as he tries to fend off claims he intentionally misled the House of Commons over Partygate.
Mr Johnson is battling to avoid a potential suspension and by-election that could be brought forward if the Privileges Committee decides he recklessly misled MPs after he broke his own Covid lockdown guidelines by holding parties.
The evidence had been brought forward by the Sue Gray report.
On Tuesday, a 52-page witness statement was published in which he admitted “the House of Commons was misled by my statements that the rules and guidance had been followed completely at No 10,” during lockdown.
“But when the statements were made, they were made in good faith and on the basis of what I honestly knew and believed at the time,” the statement added.
On Wednesday, Mr Johnson will argue evidence shows he did not mislead Parliament but he will be at the mercy of the committee.
If he is suspended, and for 10 or more days, a recall petition could lead to a by-election in his west London seat Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
It would also be a blow to Mr Johnson’s credibility and damage any remaining hopes he may have of returning to No 10.
When is the hearing and how can I watch it?
You can watch the Privileges Committee hearing and follow the latest updates on our live blog.
The Privileges Committee heard oral evidence from Mr Johnson from 2pm on Wednesday.
The hearing can also be watched on BBC Parliament and Parliament TV, a service which is free to watch online.
Parliament has said there is no approximate end time for the session, although it is expected to last about four hours.
What is the Privileges Committee?
The Privileges Committee is appointed to consider specific matters relating to privileges referred to it by the House.
This group of seven MPs is headed by Labour stalwart Harriet Harman and contains another Labour member Yvonne Fovargue and the Scottish National Party’s (SNP’s) Allan Dorans. The four Tories are the often-outspoken Broxbourne MP Sir Charles Walker, Alberto Costa, Andy Carter and Sir Bernard Jenkin.
A statement on the committee’s website says members received evidence from Mr Johnson on Monday afternoon which contained “ a number of errors and typos” and that a second version was sent in on Wednesday morning.
