Public more interested in India trade agreements than Partygate, Boris Johnson claims

Prime minister ducks questions about humiliating Commons inquiry into whether he lied to MPs

The public is more interested in UK trade agreements with India than in the scandal of the No 10 parties, Boris Johnson has suggested.

On a trade trip to the country, the prime minister refused to answer questions about the unprecedented Commons inquiry into whether he lied to MPs about illegal gatherings.

Instead, Mr Johnson referred to a “memorandum of understanding” he has signed, as a stepping stone to a possible trade deal with India by the autumn.

“What people want in our country is for the government to get on and focus on issues on which we were elected and that’s what we’re going to do,” he said.

“I think they will be particularly interested in in jobs and growth in the UK – a memorandum of understanding, principles today on wind power, gigantic ambitions for more wind energy.”

The prime minister repeated that he will not be forced to resign, despite the Commons privileges committee investigating whether he breached his own ministerial code.

Asked if he was “absolutely sure” he will still be in No 10 in the autumn, he replied: “Yes” – while admitting there had been a “pretty good kick of the cat” in Thursday’s vote to trigger the probe.

Mr Johnson struggled to escape the growing threat to his premiership, despite being 5,000 miles away, after a party revolt forced him to abandon a shambolic attempt to block it.

A vote of confidence in his leadership is now inevitable, senior Tories say, after his own MPs’ refused to defend him – and with the release of damning photos of lockdown-busting gatherings likely.

Mr Johnson will be investigated over four denials of law-breaking which “appear to amount to misleading the House”, the Commons agreed.

If MPs rule they were “knowingly” misled – after the prime minister was fined for breaking Covid rules, with further fines expected – he will be expected to resign.

Mr Johnson said, of his efforts to boost trade links: “That strikes me as being a reasonable thing for the government of the UK to focus on and that is what we are focused on.”

But he has created a hostage to fortune by setting the hugely-ambitious target of a free trade agreement with India by the autumn – even quicker than the original timetable of the end of the year.

India is traditionally a protectionist nation, regularly blocking deals in the World Trade Organisation, trade experts point out.

It has signed a trade deal with Switzerland, but not with either the EU or US – and many years of talks with Australia and New Zealand have generated an MoU only.

William Bain, head of trade policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said recently: “The history of India’s trade policy is that it is easier to achieve a memorandum of understanding than a full trade deal.”