Chris Mason: Johnson Partygate row dredges up stench of chaos

You hear occasional grumbles about repeats on the BBC.

Well, here's another one.

It involves Boris Johnson, Covid-19 rules and the police.

One set of taxpayer-funded lawyers working for Mr Johnson - preparing him for the public inquiry into the pandemic - has come across diary entries from his time as prime minister that they felt were worthy of further investigation.

Another set of taxpayer-funded lawyers working for Mr Johnson - in this case on his response to Parliament's Privileges Committee, which is examining if he recklessly or intentionally misled MPs over lockdown parties in Downing Street - tell him, he says, he has done nothing unlawful.

And this being Boris Johnson, we have a row in capital letters and primary colours.

A threat from his team to sue the government.

And one insider describing his claim that what has happened has "all the hallmarks of a politically motivated stitch up" as "Trumpian".

On what basis might Mr Johnson sue, and how likely is it?

As things stand, I'd say it's pretty unlikely.

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The former prime minister is particularly aggrieved at the prospect of the Cabinet Office having suggested in writing that events in Downing Street and at Chequers during Covid restrictions were unlawful.

If this were confirmed, his team have indicated they would consider all legal options.

But government sources say there was no such claim from the Cabinet Office.

They merely passed on what was described to be as the "raw data" - the diary entries.

As for Mr Johnson himself, will we hear from him in Parliament today, defending himself?

We won't.

He is part of what is described as a "power-packed line up" at the Scale Global Summit in Las Vegas, which I hazard a guess is a more lucrative venture than a day on the green benches in Westminster.

As for the current prime minister, Rishi Sunak, he is an observer to all this, pretty much like the rest of us.

Downing Street, I'm told, was only informed once the Cabinet Office had contacted the police.

But, from Mr Sunak's perspective, what all this does do is dredge up, yet again, the stench of chaos which contributed to the Conservatives taking such a hammering in the opinion polls last year.

And Mr Sunak - keen as he is to demonstrate he represents a clean break from all that - is, of course, hitched to the Tory brand.