The five lies that doomed Boris Johnson

Long-awaited report concludes Johnson lied to MPs on an ‘unprecedented’ scale

Boris backers quickly rounded on the privileges committee, blasting the ‘harshness’ of its report (Reuters/The Independent)

When the long-awaited report into Boris Johnson’s lockdown lies about Partygate was published on Thursday morning, his resignation as an MP appeared a lot less shocking.

The former prime minister had seen an early copy of the report, which concluded he had lied to MPs on an “unprecedented” scale. Had Mr Johnson stayed on as the MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, he would have faced a 90-day suspension from parliament – more than enough to trigger a tough by-election in the constituency.

The report also recommended Mr Johnson be stripped of a pass for former MPs, effectively barring him from the parliamentary estate.

• Read our live coverage of reaction to the Partygate report here: Ex-PM’s final disgrace as lies finally laid bare

Boris backers quickly rounded on the committee, blasting the “harshness” of the findings, while Mr Johnson himself blasted what he called the “deranged conclusion”.

But, while just one instance of misleading the house would have been enough to land Mr Johnson a sanction, the committee concluded he had done so on five separate occasions.

Below are the five lies that led to Mr Johnson’s downfall.

1. Insistent PM says ‘all guidance was followed’

The former PM first misled the House of Commons on 1 December 2021. Asked at prime minister’s questions (PMQs) by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer about a Christmas party in Downing Street on 18 December, 2020, Mr Johnson said “all guidance was followed” in No 10.

A combative Johnson in the Commons on 1 December 1, 2021 (UK Parliament/AFP)

2. PM denies party took place in Downing Street

The second time Mr Johnson misled parliament came a week later. Repeating his earlier claim, in response to a question from Labour MP Catherine West, Mr Johnson said “the guidance was followed and the rules were followed at all times”.

Ms West asked whether there was another party in Downing Street, on 13 November 2020, to which the then prime minister replied, “no”. An investigation by Partygate investigator Sue Gray confirmed both events had taken place.

Johnson in parliament on 8 December, 2021: ‘Whatever happened, the guidance was followed and the rules were followed at all times.’ (UK Parliament/AFP/Getty)

3. Johnson hits back at Starmer’s ‘lying’ accusations

The next time Mr Johnson misled the house was on 12 January last year, when he came under fire from Sir Keir at another fiery session of PMQs.

The Labour leader said the public saw Mr Johnson as “lying through his teeth” about Downing Street parties, but the then PM hit back to claim “the events in question were within the guidance and were within the rules”.

The privileges committee found this also to have been misleading.

Boris Johnson on 12 January 2022: ‘I believe that the events in question were within the guidance and were within the rules.’ (UK Parliament/AFP/Getty)

4. PM ‘corrects the record’

The fourth time Mr Johnson misled parliament was four months later, on 25 May, when he sought to row back on earlier assurances that “all rules and guidance had been followed” in No 10.

He told MPs at the time that “it was what I believed to be true”, while accepting that “clearly this was not the case” for some gatherings.

“I would like to correct the record – to take this opportunity, not in any sense to absolve myself of responsibility, which I take and have always taken, but simply to explain why I spoke as I did in this House,” Mr Johnson said.

Even in rowing back on his earlier remarks the privileges committee found him to have been misleading MPs.

The report said: “We think it highly unlikely on the balance of probabilities that Mr Johnson… could have genuinely believed at the time of his statements to the House that the rules or guidance were being complied with.”

Boris Johnson on 25 May, 2022: ‘When I came to this House and said in all sincerity that the rules and guidance had been followed at all times, it was what I believed to be true.’ (UK Parliament/AFP/Getty)

5. Johnson was ‘disingenuous’ with MPs

As well as the four instances above, MPs on the committee concluded Mr Johnson misled the house by failing to tell MPs about his own knowledge of rule-breaking parties in Downing Street.

The excoriating report goes on to accuse Mr Johnson of being “disingenuous with the committee”, making “completely unacceptable” statements about the inquiry and an “egregious breach of confidentiality” of the process.

Angela Rayner says Boris Johnson is ‘not only a law breaker but a liar, not fit for public office’ (PA)

Labour said the committee’s report was “damning” and deputy leader Angela Rayner said Mr Johnson was acting like a “pound shop Donald Trump”.

She said: “Boris Johnson is not only a law breaker but a liar, and he is not fit for public office. He’s disgraced himself and continues to act like some pound shop Donald Trump in the way in which he tries to discredit anybody who criticises his actions.”