Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson admitted on Tuesday that he had deceived parliament by saying things that turned out to be untrue about the scandal known as ‘Partygate’, but maintained he had never intentionally lied. The Partygate case concerns the parties organized in the prime minister’s residence in Downing Street, London, between May 2020 and April 2021. The parties were held in violation of the restrictions introduced by the government itself to counter the coronavirus pandemic, and when they were discovered they created a great scandal in British politics and among the people.
Johnson’s admission is contained in written testimony that the former British prime minister gave to a House of Commons committee investigating the possibility that Johnson may have lied to parliament. Johnson will be hearing from the committee on Wednesday. At the time of the scandal, Johnson told parliament that no social distancing rules had been broken during the Downing Street festivities. In written testimony delivered to parliament, Johnson said his statements to parliament “that all the rules had been followed proved incorrect,” but added that “they had been made in good faith and on the basis of what I honestly knew and believed the time. I did not deceive parliament intentionally or recklessly.”
The committee that is dealing with Johnson’s statements, which is the Privileges Committee, has the power to punish Johnson in various ways, ranging from forcing him to make a public apology to expelling him from parliament. Johnson is unlikely to face particularly harsh punishments because the majority of committee members are from his party, the Conservative Party.
