Boris Johnson to be investigated over claims he misled Parliament about lockdown parties

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be investigated by Members of Parliament (MPs) over claims he misled Parliament about parties held at Downing Street during lockdown.

MPs approved a plan to ask a special team of politicians - called the Privileges Committee - to investigate the PM once the police have finished their own inquiry into the gatherings.

The government had tried to delay the vote - put forward by the opposition party Labour - but decided against it after some of its own Conservative MPs disagreed.

Mr Johnson said he had "absolutely nothing, frankly, to hide".

Mr Johnson is currently on a two-day trip to India - here he is visiting a Hindu temple in Gandhinagar in the state of Gujarat.

Speaking during an official trip to India, the prime minister added: "If the opposition want to focus on this and talk about it a lot more, that's fine."

Boris Johnson is the first prime minister to be investigated for claims he knowingly misled Parliament.

Why is there going to be an investigation?

Last week the prime minister was fined by the police for breaking lockdown rules.

He received the fine for attending a birthday gathering in June 2020 in No 10, which is where he lives and works.

As a result, Mr Johnson became the UK's first serving prime minister to be punished for breaking the law.

Mr Johnson had previously told MPs that laws were not broken in Downing Street.

This has resulted in opposition MPs - including Labour's leader Sir Keir Starmer - saying that the prime minister had misled them.

Investigations into parties that happened in Downing Street and other government spaces during the pandemic, are already being looked at by the Metropolitan Police and through a special report from a senior civil servant, Sue Gray.

This new investigation will not start until the full Sue Gray report has been published.

The Sue Gray report will not be published until the Metropolitan Police has finished its investigation.

What is the Privileges Committee?

The Privileges Committee will look into if the Prime Minister misled MPs

The Privileges Committee is a special group of MPs that can look into the conduct of other MPs.

They are only called upon in special circumstances when a minister is accused of breaking rules.

They are made up of two Labour MPs, one Liberal Democrat and four Conservative MPs.

They will look into whether Mr Johnson misled Parliament deliberately, and create a report with their findings.

If they find that he did mislead Parliament, then they can suggest a punishment for Mr Johnson which could be suspension or banning him from Parliament.

MPs will then decide if they approve the report and whether to carry out the punishments.

It could be very serious for Boris Johnson because government rules say if MPs knowingly mislead the House of Commons, they are expected to leave their job.

What has Boris Johnson said?

The prime minister, who is in India on an official trip, told reporters he was "very keen for every possible form of scrutiny" and denied misleading Parliament.

He said he had "no concerns" about the committee investigation, adding: "If the opposition want to focus on this and talk about it a lot more that's fine."

The PM said he "wanted to focus on what matters for the future of the country" including tackling the cost of living, energy, transport and childcare.

What have Labour said?

Speaking in the House of Commons today, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the prime minister had "stood at that despatch box and point blank denied rule-breaking took place, when it did."

After the decision to investigate, Sir Starmer said: "Boris Johnson has lost the trust of the public over parties held in Downing Street during lockdown. Now it's clear he has lost the confidence of his MPs."