Summary

  • Boris Johnson faced Prime Minister's Questions - a day after apologising in Parliament for breaking lockdown laws

  • Labour's leader and other opposition MPs continue to push the PM on the fine he received

  • The prime minister insists he is focused on dealing with "serious problems that require attention"

  • Labour has described Johnson's apology as a joke and is calling for further action

  • Johnson been rallying support among Tory MPs - ahead of vote on whether claims he misled Parliament should be investigated by a committee

  • Under government rules, ministers who knowingly mislead Parliament, which the PM denies doing, are expected to resign

  1. Thanks for joining uspublished at 13:23 British Summer Time 20 April 2022

    That concludes our coverage of PMQs today - thanks for being with us as we report on the questions the prime minister faced in the Commons chamber.

    There'll be more PMQs next week, of course, as well as more news and debate from Parliament in the coming days.

    We hope we'll see you then.

  2. PMQs quick round-uppublished at 13:17 British Summer Time 20 April 2022

    If you're just joining us, here are some of the key lines to come from PMQs, the first since Boris Johnson receiving his lockdown party fine.

    • The PM says he "bitterly regrets" the resignation of his press secretary Allegra Stratton, who stood down after a video emerged of her joking about parties in Downing Street during lockdown
    • Asked if he accepts he broke the law over his Downing Street gathering, he says he's been clear he "humbly accepts " what the police said
    • On the PM's comments criticising senior clergy, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, in response to the government's new immigration plans, he does not offer an apology, saying he was surprised the government was attacked over a policy to end deaths at sea
    • Asked about reports the PM accused the BBC of not being critical enough of Vladimir Putin, he denied saying anything of the kind - and added he had "the highest admiration" for the work of journalists.
  3. Watch: Does the PM want to apologise?published at 13:11 British Summer Time 20 April 2022

    Media caption,

    PMQs: Does PM want to apologise to archbishop? - Starmer

  4. Analysis

    Conservatives are worried party row will rumble onpublished at 12:53 British Summer Time 20 April 2022

    Vicki Young
    Deputy Political Editor

    Labour could have used PMQs to focus on the cost of living crisis but I think they have realised there is more to run in all of this.

    It is very difficult for the PM to close this down when you have this ongoing threat of more fines landing plus the allegations he misled Parliament.

    Boris Johnson says he wants to move on, and is talking about Ukraine and travelling to India - but it isn't doing the trick yet.

    The prime minister has apologised but he is still trying to explain his actions by saying the breach only lasted nine minutes.

    That works up to a point, unless there are more fines are coming.

    And that is what Conservative MPs are worried about - that this row keeps rumbling on.

  5. Watch: Johnson quizzed on resignations over partygatepublished at 12:52 British Summer Time 20 April 2022

    Media caption,

    PM quizzed on Downing Street lockdown resignations

  6. Labour MP quotes Johnson on regimes being in power 'too long'published at 12:48 British Summer Time 20 April 2022

    Rupa HuqImage source, Hoc

    Labour's Rupa Huq quotes from a 2011 newspaper article written by Boris Johnson, which talks of leaders who have been in power too long acting "solely in the interests of self-preservation", not the electorate's.

    Does he still agree with that? she asks.

    The PM says he's delighted she reads the Daily Telegraph, but says she needs to keep going to the end of the article.

  7. Analysis

    No friendly fire for PM - and that's what matters...published at 12:45 British Summer Time 20 April 2022

    David Wallace Lockhart
    BBC Scotland political reporter

    Boris JohnsonImage source, HoC

    Politics can be personal.

    That’s certainly the case at this afternoon’s PMQs.

    Not only have there been various attacks on Boris Johnson’s character, but a number of opposition MPs have taken aim at his Chancellor too.

    Some helpful questions from his own backbenchers about local issues and policy matters have provided some respite.

    But it appears his two-hour apology session yesterday hasn’t drawn a line under partygate.

    One positive the prime minister can take from this session so far is that - unlike during yesterday’s statement - there have been no attacks from his own side.

    And that’s what really matters when it comes to him staying in the job.

  8. MP asked to withdraw Pinocchio accusationpublished at 12:41 British Summer Time 20 April 2022

    The SNP's Richard Thompson says the prime minister personifies a lack of trust and integrity in government.

    He says the public "want this Pinocchio prime minister to pack his bags and go".

    MPs aren't allowed to accuse each other of lying and Speaker SIr Lindsay Hoyle asks him to withdraw the comment, which he does.

    In reply, Boris Johnson says he is getting on with his job and says the SNP should do the same.

  9. Russian savagery authorised from very top - PMpublished at 12:41 British Summer Time 20 April 2022

    Conservative Sir Robert Buckland reads out a message sent to one of his constituents from someone in the Ukraine city of Kherson.

    The extract tells of how there are no green corridors for evacuation and Russians are living in Ukrainians' homes, doing "whatever they want".

    Sir Robert asks what more can be done to ensure President Putin and those who do his bidding are brought to justice.

    Johnson says the savagery the Russians are unleashing is authorised from very top. He says he wants serving Russian officers to know that if we see international criminal prosecutions, they will face justice.

    "I hope that will have a chilling effect on their appalling conduct," he says.

  10. Have taxes been cut for everyone?published at 12:36 British Summer Time 20 April 2022

    Reality Check

    Boris Johnson has told MPs: "We are responsible for cutting taxes for everybody."

    While measures were taken in the Spring Statement that cut some taxes for some people, it is not true to say that taxes have been cut for everybody.

    The announced tax cuts were smaller than the increases in taxes the chancellor had announced in the past year.

    The Office for Budget Responsibility predicts, external that the overall tax burden will rise from 33.0% of GDP (a measure of the output of the economy) in 2019-20 to 36.3% in 2026-27, which would be the highest level since the late 1940s.

    You can read more about it here.

  11. MP asks about constituent captured by Russianspublished at 12:35 British Summer Time 20 April 2022

    Robert JenrickImage source, hoc

    Conservative (and former minister) Robert Jenrick asks about his constituent Aiden Aslin who has been captured by Russian forces in Ukraine.

    He says a video has emerged of his constituent appearing handcuffed, physically injured and being interviewed for a propaganda video.

    He asks if the PM agrees his treatment is a breach of the Geneva Convention on human rights and says the interviewer is "in danger of prosecution for war crimes".

    Boris Johnson agrees and says he hopes Aslin is treated "humanely and compassion".

  12. Labour MP asks if ministers have engaged in tax avoidancepublished at 12:33 British Summer Time 20 April 2022

    Labour's Justin Madders asks how many members of the Cabinet have ever been involved in a tax avoidance scheme.

    Boris Johnson says the government believes in cutting taxes for the whole country.

    He says he's proud that the Chancellor's recent spring statement cut taxes by £330 for most people, by increasing National Insurance thresholds.

  13. PM flanked by key cabinet ministerspublished at 12:32 British Summer Time 20 April 2022

    FrontbenchImage source, hoc
    Image caption,

    Sitting on the frontbench alongside Johnson today are Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, and Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi, as well as Health Secretary Sajid Javid

  14. Plaid Cymru: Will the PM back a lying-in-politics bill?published at 12:28 British Summer Time 20 April 2022

    Liz Saville RobertsImage source, Hoc

    Plaid Cymru's Liz Saville Roberts says her party has long been campaigning for a law to ban politicians being wilfully misleading.

    Will the PM support a lying-in-politics bill? she asks.

    "It is well known that the rules of this House demand we tell the truth in this House," the prime minister replies.

  15. SNP says Johnson 'on borrowed time'published at 12:25 British Summer Time 20 April 2022

    Ian BlackfordImage source, hoC

    The SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford also questions the PM about partygate.

    He quotes a poll suggesting that 82% of people in Scotland believe the PM has lied, and says the government is in a "constant state of crisis" to save Boris Johnson's skin.

    He says the PM is on "borrowed time" while families count the cost of a "Tory-made cost of living crisis".

    Boris Johnson says he's "getting on with the job in hand" and "delivering for the people of the entire country".

  16. Analysis

    Awkward questions remain for the PMpublished at 12:23 British Summer Time 20 April 2022

    David Wallace Lockhart
    BBC Scotland political reporter

    Despite the lengthy apology session from the prime minister yesterday, the Labour leader chose to try and keep the focus on Boris Johnson’s character.

    Starmer accused the PM of refusing to resign with honour, “slandering” the Archbishop of Canterbury and “disrespecting” the institutions of the UK.

    The prime minister rejected these accusations.

    Boris Johnson wants to move on from being on the defensive. He tried to turn the debate to more comfortable ground: the economy, the energy crisis and supporting Ukraine.

    But it doesn’t appear that opposition parties are ready to move on. And so the awkward questions remain.

  17. PM slanders decent people - Starmerpublished at 12:21 British Summer Time 20 April 2022

    Starmer says the PM "slanders decent people in a private room and lets the slander spread without the backbone to repeat it in public".

    "He deliberately degrades and attacks the institutions of our great party," the Labour leader says.

    Boris Johnson says Starmer's line of attack is "an indication of the depths to which he is willing to stoop".

    "I did not attack the BBC last night for their coverage of Ukraine," he says adding: "He must be out of his tiny mind."

  18. PM denies attacking BBCpublished at 12:20 British Summer Time 20 April 2022

    Keir StarmerImage source, hoc

    Starmer accuses the PM of "never taking responsibility for his actions".

    The Labour leader asks about reports the PM accused the BBC of not being critical enough of Vladimir Putin.

    He asks if he would have the guts to say that to the face of BBC correspondents reporting from Ukraine such as Lyse Doucet and Clive Myrie.

    Johnson says he said "nothing of the kind" and adds that he has "the highest admiration" for the work of journalists.

  19. Does PM want to apologise to archbishop?published at 12:18 British Summer Time 20 April 2022

    Sir Keir asks next if the PM wants to apologise over comments made in an article about the Archbishop of Canterbury and immigration plans.

    The PM says he was slightly taken aback for government to be criticised over a policy to end deaths at sea.

    "I was surprise we were attacked," he says, and points out the policy was first proposed in 2004 by Labour's David Blunkett.

  20. Does PM accept he broke the law?published at 12:11 British Summer Time 20 April 2022

    Boris JohnsonImage source, HoC

    Next, Sir Keir asks whether the prime minister accepts that he broke the law.

    Mr Johnson replies over loud shouts and jeers that he has been clear that he "humbly accepts " what the police said.

    He says he thinks MPs would rather see them get on with their jobs before criticising Labour for having no plans on energy.