Summary

  • Boris Johnson again apologises for breaking lockdown laws in his first address to Parliament since being fined by police

  • But the PM repeats his defence that he did not knowingly break the rules

  • Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer calls the apology "a joke" and says the PM is insulting the public

  • The PM's comments are met with jeers from opposition parties, and Tory MP Mark Harper tweets a letter saying he no longer had confidence in him

  • MPs will vote on Thursday on whether the PM should be investigated for knowingly misleading Parliament over breaching Covid laws

  • It comes after the Speaker said he would allow MPs time to debate a motion from Labour on whether to refer Johnson to Parliament's Privileges Committee

  • Johnson, his wife Carrie and Chancellor Rishi Sunak have paid fines for attending a birthday gathering for the PM in June 2020

  1. Johnson begins his statementpublished at 17:02 British Summer Time 19 April 2022

    It's a little later than we imagined, but the prime minister has just got to his feet in the Commons.

    He's vowed to "set the record straight" after he was fined for breaking his own Covid rules.

    Stick around to hear what he's got to say.

  2. Starmer faces challenge of keeping 'Partygate' issue relevantpublished at 17:00 British Summer Time 19 April 2022

    Iain Watson
    Reporting from the House of Commons

    The Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is on the front bench with the shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper on his right.

    Today’s statement is a challenge not just for the Prime Minister, but for his opposite number.

    Starmer will not only have to neutralise Boris Johnson’s argument that Fixed Penalty Notices are far less significant than the war in Ukraine, but explain to an audience beyond the Commons why the ‘Partygate’ issue is politically important.

    Neither the PM nor the Chancellor are here yet.

  3. What have Tory MPs and peers said about the PM so far?published at 16:54 British Summer Time 19 April 2022

    Lord Wolfson in the House of LordsImage source, House of Lords
    Image caption,

    Lord Wolfson resigned over what he said was "repeated rule-breaking"

    Since the PM was fined, more than 70 Conservative MPs have expressed their support for him - including some who have previously called for him to go.

    Only a handful of Tory MPs - out of a total of 359 - have publicly said he should quit.

    Conservative peer Lord David Wolfson became the first person to quit the government over the law-breaking, resigning as justice minister last week.

    He said the "scale, context and nature" of Covid breaches in government was inconsistent with the rule of law.

  4. How much trouble for the PM in the House?published at 16:43 British Summer Time 19 April 2022

    Iain Watson
    Reporting from the House of Commons

    The Commons chamber is already busy for the home secretary’s statement but is filling up further ahead of the prime minister’s statement.

    One of Boris Johnson’s staunchest defenders, Conor Burns, is flanked by critics Andrew Mitchell and Tobias Ellwood just inside the main door.

    The Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is standing just behind the Speaker’s chair waiting to take a seat on the front bench.

    One government minister I spoke to a few minutes ago predicted that the PM would face little trouble from his own side. We’ll soon find out.

  5. Johnson to address MPs shortlypublished at 16:36 British Summer Time 19 April 2022

    Just a reminder that Boris Johnson is next up. He will address MPs for the first time since becoming the UK's first serving prime minister to be sanctioned for breaking the law.

    He was fined for breaking his own lockdown laws.

    But Johnson is expected to say he did not knowingly break the rules at a 2020 birthday party at No 10.

    Technically, he’s updating MPs after the Easter break, so may wish to focus on other matters, such as Ukraine. But no doubt Partygate will feature.

    Stick with us.

  6. Former PM May criticises Rwanda policypublished at 16:34 British Summer Time 19 April 2022

    Theresa May

    Former Prime Minister Theresa May tells the Commons she doesn't support the government's Rwanda policy "on the grounds of legality, practicality and efficacy".

    Conservative MP May, who was also home secretary for six years, asks Patel whether the scheme - currently aimed at single men - will not lead to more trafficking of women and children.

    Patel maintains the plan is legal. She doesn't directly answer May's question, but offers to meet her at a later date.

    The home secretary says she did not want to talk about the eligibility criteria because it was the sort of detail smuggling gangs used to "effectively exploit various loopholes".

    Read more here

  7. Plan will make trafficking worse, says Labourpublished at 16:27 British Summer Time 19 April 2022

    Labour's Yvette Cooper argues the government's plans will make trafficking problems worse. She says Israel ran a similar scheme with Rwanda, but reports found it increased people smuggling.

    The SNP's Stuart McDonald says the announcement was driven by "grubby political motivation". He says the announcement has "nothing to do with global migration crisis and everything to do with distracting from the PM's political crisis".

    The Lib Dem's Alistair Carmichael notes that Rwandan ministers have said they are only planning to accept a few thousand people over the five year period of the scheme

    He notes that 28,000 crossed the Channel last year and asks if the scheme will really have "the desired effect".

  8. My proposal will deter illegal immigration - Patelpublished at 16:11 British Summer Time 19 April 2022

    Media caption,

    Priti Patel sets out case to tackle illegal immigration with Rwanda plan

    Back in the Commons, and Priti Patel has been telling MPs that people should be granted asylum in the UK "based on need, not on the ability to pay people smugglers".

    She says the government has "done more than any other in recent history to support those fleeing persecution, conflict or instability".

    However she adds that the government cannot focus support on those who need help without tackling illegal migration.

    She says her proposal will "deter illegal and dangerous routes of entry to the UK, make it easier to remove those with no right to be in the UK, and provide a common sense approach to controlling immigration both legal and illegal."

  9. Labour tells Tories: Don't back cover uppublished at 15:56 British Summer Time 19 April 2022

    Back to Boris Johnson now, who is to give a statement once Home Secretary Priti Patel has finished talking about immigration, and Labour is urging Tory backbenchers to think back a few months before casting their vote after Thursday's debate.

    As we mentioned earlier, Boris Johnson has a big majority in the Commons - it currently sits at 75 - so it seems unlikely a vote to refer him and his statements over No 10 parties to the Privileges Committee will pass.

    A party source told the BBC: "Any Conservative MP considering voting to block this investigation would be voting for a cover up.

    "They should reflect on the mess they got themselves into over Owen Paterson before falling into line."

    If you recall, the Conservatives tried to block the suspension of the former MP for breaking lobbying rules by overhauling the MPs' standards system, and it all ended up in a bit of a mess...

  10. Priti Patel updates MPs on Rwanda immigration planspublished at 15:46 British Summer Time 19 April 2022

    Priti PatelImage source, b

    Before Boris Johnson makes his statement to Parliament, Home Secretary Priti Patel is updating MPs on her plans for immigration.

    The government is introducing measures to transport some asylum seekers who enter the UK unlawfully to Rwanda, where they can apply to settle.

    Click here to read how the plan might work.

  11. Cross-party condemnation harder to fightpublished at 15:36 British Summer Time 19 April 2022

    Jennifer Scott
    Political reporter, BBC News

    An investigation by the privileges committee could make things a little harder for Boris Johnson in the Commons.

    If they were to carry out an inquiry and conclude he had knowingly misled the House over the Downing Street lockdown parties, it would not just be a political attack from the other side.

    Instead, it would be the conclusion of a cross-party committee.

    And when their report, including recommendations of any sanctions against the PM, came back to the Commons for debate, it would be more difficult for MPs to justify voting against it.

    But, to be frank, the likelihood of Labour's motion to refer the PM to the committee passing on Thursday is less than slim.

    Johnson still holds a significant majority in the Commons, and in recent weeks, there hasn't been the appetite within the party to go after their leader.

    It will, however, give Labour and other opposition parties a big Commons moment and a chance to keep the Partygate saga in the headlines.

  12. WATCH: What the PM has previously said on partiespublished at 15:27 British Summer Time 19 April 2022

    Rumours of lockdown parties in Westminster began to surface late last year.

    Here's a recap of what Boris Johnson has said since then, as more allegations - and facts - emerged.

  13. What happens now?published at 15:14 British Summer Time 19 April 2022

    Boris Johnson in the CommonsImage source, Reuters
    • On Thursday, MPs will debate a motion on whether or not to refer the PM to the privileges committee
    • If it passes, the committee will consider whether Boris Johnson knowingly misled MPs, and could recommend a sanction
    • MPs will then vote on whether to accept the committee's recommendations

  14. Mother of all apologies is due - Tory MPpublished at 15:09 British Summer Time 19 April 2022

    Speaking a little earlier, Conservative MP Bob Seely said he genuinely wasn't sure how he'd vote on any referral of the PM to the privileges committee.

    "I think we all make mistakes, clearly, but I do think the mother of all apologies is the order of the day," he told the BBC's World At One.

    Seely said he'd received 150-200 emails about Partygate over the last two to three weeks - but added that over the same period he'd had more correspondence on an animal welfare bill.

  15. 'Find the guts,' Davey urges Conservative MPspublished at 15:01 British Summer Time 19 April 2022

    Ed DaveyImage source, PA Media

    Responding to the Common's Speaker's statement, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey urges Conservative MPs to "find the guts to do what is right".

    "The British public know Boris Johnson [is] a liar. Now it’s time for Parliament to recognise that," he says.

    "The country cannot afford a prime minister who breaks the law and lies about it."

  16. What is the privileges committee?published at 14:53 British Summer Time 19 April 2022

    The Committee of Privileges is made up of seven MPs reflecting the make-up of the Commons - so at the moment that is four Tories, two from Labour and one from the SNP.

    Its chair must also be a member of the opposition, and the position is currently held by Labour's Chris Bryant.

    The group only considers specific matters to do with the privileges of the Commons - for example, witnesses refusing to appear in front of a select committee, or, as the claim may be in this case, ministers misleading the House.

    But the committee can only swing into action if MPs vote in favour of them conducting an investigation.

    They would then send a report back to the Commons, and their conclusions, or any recommendations, would be voted on by MPs.

  17. Speaker's Office confirms debate on privileges committee referralpublished at 14:51 British Summer Time 19 April 2022

    There has been a little confusion about what will be debated come Thursday - who ever said parliamentary language wasn't straightforward?

    But we have now had it confirmed that there will be a debate on whether Boris Johnson should be referred to the Committee of Privileges over his statements to Parliament on parties.

    So we can forget the censure motion we told you about before - for now at least.

  18. Speaker: It's not for me to decide on PM's conductpublished at 14:47 British Summer Time 19 April 2022

    The Speaker says he has received letters from a number of MPs about gatherings in Downing Street and Whitehall during lockdown.

    He says it is not for him to police the ministerial code nor to determine whether or not the PM has committed contempt.

    "My role is whether there is an arguable case to be examined," he says.

    Having taken advice, he says he has decided this is a matter that he will allow to be debated.

    As we've told you, that'll be on Thursday, but we don't yet have details about what the motion will be.

  19. Labour to table motion on Thursday over Partygatepublished at 14:41 British Summer Time 19 April 2022
    Breaking

    Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle confirms Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will be allowed to table a motion for debate on Thursday regarding the PM and parties in Downing Street.

  20. Hoyle begins his statementpublished at 14:35 British Summer Time 19 April 2022

    There has been a lot of rumour about what Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle might announce for later in the week...

    A censure motion on the prime minister? A vote to refer him to the privileges committee? Something else we haven't thought of yet?

    Well, he's just got to his feet in the Commons so we'll let you know as he announces his plan.