Lockdown parties: PM accepts responsibility over rule breaches, says Dominic Raab
- Published
Boris Johnson "accepts responsibility" for breaches of lockdown rules over parties in Downing Street, the deputy prime minister has said.
Police have issued 20 fines to staff so far, but Dominic Raab told the BBC the PM had not received one yet.
He also said there was no suggestion Mr Johnson had previously lied to Parliament about Covid rule-breaking.
But Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP are calling for the PM to quit over the parties held in the pandemic.
The Metropolitan Police have been investigating 12 events, including at least three attended by Mr Johnson.
The force have sent out more than 100 questionnaires to ask about people's participation in the events, and 20 fixed penalty notices for Covid rule-breaking have been issued by post, with more expected to follow.
Mr Johnson previously told the House of Commons that Covid guidelines had been followed in Downing Street "at all times".
Asked if his boss had broken the ministerial code - which says ministers who deliberately mislead the Commons should quit, external - Mr Raab said the PM had updated Parliament "to the best of his knowledge and his understanding".
He added: "I think it is rather different to say that he lied, which suggests that he was deliberately misleading.
"Clearly we had the investigations [into parties] because of the claims - the assertions that were made, which it was right to follow up - and it is clear there were breaches of the law.
"But to jump from that to say the prime minister deliberately misled Parliament, rather than answering to the best of his ability, is just not right."
Mr Raab also said the prime minister had apologised over the gatherings in Downing Street and overhauled No 10's operations.
As the police have found law-breaking at the heart of government, it's unsurprising the opposition is baying for blood.
But why is there no similar pressure for Boris Johnson to resign from many of his own MPs?
Well, first let's mention the war. One former minister who'd considered submitting a letter of no confidence in the PM now says Ukraine is weighing heavily on his mind.
Another senior MP expresses his exasperation with the PM, but says no responsible person would ditch him during both a conflict and a cost-of-living crisis.
One former minister says he will await the publication of the full report into the gatherings by senior civil servant Sue Gray.
For others, it's all about a lack of a suitable alternative to Mr Johnson.
One former cabinet minister tells me he wants to keep Foreign Secretary Liz Truss out, while another expresses disappointment in Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
But some jeopardy remains for Mr Johnson. If it appears that civil servants - and not politicians - are being punished, the mood may yet turn toxic.
An interim report by senior civil servant Sue Gray concluded there had been "failures of leadership and judgement" in government over the parties.
Her full findings are due to be published when the Met finishes its investigation.
No 10 has said that any fixed penalty notice issued to the prime minister would be made public.
Earlier this year, several Conservative MPs joined opposition parties in calling for Mr Johnson to resign over his alleged participation in the gathering, but some have withdrawn their demands following the outbreak of war in Ukraine.
Mr Johnson addressed a dinner in London for Tory MPs on Tuesday evening. One minister who attended told the BBC the atmosphere had been "pretty convivial" and more "good-natured and collegiate than expected".
However, the war has not stopped opposition parties reiterating their calls for the PM to go.
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: "The culture is set from the very top. The buck stops with the prime minister, who spent months lying to the British public, which is why he's got to go."
And Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: "Boris Johnson broke the rules then repeatedly lied because he thought he could get away with it. Now he has been found out as a serial liar.
"Attempts by Conservative ministers to rewrite history simply won't wash. Johnson has lost the trust of the British people and it's time for him to go."
Timeline: Downing St gatherings
The government has faced intense pressure over gatherings held in and around Downing Street during Covid lockdowns. A police investigation into several of the events has now concluded, with more than 100 fines having been issued to attendees. Here is what we know about the gatherings and the restrictions in place at the time:
A photo from May 2020 showed the prime minister and his staff with bottles of wine and a cheeseboard in the Downing Street garden. When asked about it, Boris Johnson said "those people were at work talking about work".
The rules:
Legal restrictions at the time said you could not leave your house without a reasonable excuse and government guidance was that you could meet one person outside of your household in an outdoor setting while exercising.
This event was not investigated by the police.
About 100 people were invited by email to "socially distanced drinks in the No 10 garden this evening". Witnesses told the BBC the PM and his wife were among about 30 people who attended.
Boris Johnson apologised to MPs for attending the event, saying he spent 25 minutes thanking staff, before returning to his office.
The police investigation determined that this event did breach the rules in place at the time.
A gathering took place in the Cabinet Office to mark the departure of a No 10 private secretary.
The police investigation determined that this event did breach the rules in place at the time.
We know at least one fine has been issued after the government's former head of ethics admitted receiving one and apologised for attending the event.
On Boris Johnson’s birthday, up to 30 people gathered in the Cabinet Room at No 10 to present the prime minister with a birthday cake and sing Happy Birthday, according to a report by ITV News.
No 10 said staff had "gathered briefly" to "wish the prime minister a happy birthday", adding that he had been there "for less than 10 minutes".
The rules:
Restrictions at the time banned most indoor gatherings involving more than two people.
The police investigation determined that this event did breach the rules in place at the time.
We know at least three attendees have received fines from the police, with the PM, his wife Carrie Symonds and Chancellor Rishi Sunak all confirming they have paid fixed penalty notices.
Two gatherings are understood to have taken place in Downing Street on this date: one to mark the departure of a special adviser and one in the Downing Street flat.
According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, the gathering in the flat where Mr Johnson and his wife live was to celebrate the departure of Dominic Cummings, the PM's former senior adviser. A spokesman for Mrs Johnson denies the party took place.
The rules:
Eight days earlier Boris Johnson had announced a new lockdown in England. Indoor gatherings with other households were banned, unless they were for work purposes.
The police investigation determined that an event on this date did breach the rules in place at the time but they have not confirmed whether it was one or both of the events.
A leaving event was held for No 10 aide, Cleo Watson, where people were drinking, and Mr Johnson made a speech, according to sources.
This event was not investigated by the police.
The Department for Education has confirmed it had an office gathering to thank staff for their work during the pandemic. It says drinks and snacks were brought by those who attended and no outside guests or support staff were invited.
The rules:
Eight days earlier, London had been placed in restrictions which banned two or more people from different households from meeting indoors, unless "reasonably necessary" for work purposes.
This event was not investigated by the police.
The Conservative Party has admitted that an "unauthorised gathering" took place at its HQ in Westminster. It was held by the team of the party's London-mayoral candidate, Shaun Bailey, who has since stepped down as chair of the London Assembly police and crime committee.
In December, police said they would be contacting two people who attended the party.
This event was not included in Sue Gray's report.
Multiple sources have told the BBC there was a Christmas quiz for No 10 staff last year. A photo - published by the Sunday Mirror - shows Boris Johnson taking part and sitting between two colleagues in No 10. Mr Johnson has denied any wrongdoing.
The rules: At this time, the rules in London banned two or more people from different households from meeting indoors, unless "reasonably necessary" for work purposes.
This event was not investigated by the police.
The Department for Transport has apologised after confirming reports of a party in its offices, calling it "inappropriate" and an "error of judgment" by staff.
This event was not included in Sue Gray's report.
A leaving party was held at the Cabinet Office for the outgoing head of the civil service Covid taskforce - the team responsible for drawing up coronavirus restrictions.
Kate Josephs, now chief executive of Sheffield City Council, apologised for the event, saying she was "truly sorry that I did this and for the anger that people will feel as a result".
A second gathering was held in the Cabinet Office to hold an online Christmas quiz for the Cabinet Secretary’s private office.
A third gathering was held in No 10 Downing Street to mark the departure of a No 10 official
The police investigation determined that an event on this date did breach the rules in place at the time but they have not confirmed whether it was one or all of the events.
Downing Street originally denied a report by the Daily Mirror that a party took place in Downing Street on this date.
However, a video obtained by ITV News showed the prime minister's then-press secretary Allegra Stratton joking about reports of the event, saying: "This fictional party was a business meeting and it was not socially distanced."
The police investigation determined that this event did breach the rules in place at the time.
A gathering was held in No 10 Downing Street to mark the departure of two private secretaries.
The police investigation determined that this event did breach the rules in place at the time.
Two parties were held by Downing Street staff at No 10, the night before Prince Philip's funeral.
One of the events was a leaving party for the PM's then director of communications James Slack, who has apologised for the event and acknowledged it "should not have happened at the time that it did".
Boris Johnson was not at either party.
The rules
The rules had been eased in England on 12 April, but working from home continued to be recommended and socialising indoors with people from other households was not allowed. Meeting others outdoors was limited to groups of six people or two households.
The police investigation determined that an event on this date did breach the rules in place at the time but they have not confirmed whether it was one or both of the events.
We know fines have been issued to some people who attended Mr Slack’s leaving party, but we do not know who they were issued to.