Johnson appeared before the privileges committee to defend attending parties as an essential pandemic activity, in the hope that MPs might agree that he did not mislead parliament.
Boris Johnson swore “hand on heart, I did not lie to the House” and reiterated that his statements to the Commons were made in “good faith.”
The former prime minister said that if it was so “obvious” that there was rule-breaking in No 10, as the committee has argued, then it would also have been “obvious” to others, including Rishi Sunak.
Media take
The Times notes that in his Uxbridge constituency, a suspension of “10 days or more would make a byelection … almost inevitable”.
However, Boris Johnson would win a by-election “comfortably” if the Privileges Committee’s partygate investigation ends with the former prime minister being suspended, Jacob Rees-Mogg said.
Meanwhile the Telegraph’s associate editor writes: “The cults of Boris and Brexit are simultaneously imploding.”
The Tory peer Lord Hayward told Sky News this morning that a byelection “would cause serious problems”, and was something the party “doesn’t want” as it would probably lose the constituency.
Reactions
Well, here are some of the best takes on Johnson’s appearance in front of the committee.
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Related: Good day to…Rishi Sunak FINALLY releases tax return – but is it real deal?
