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MPs investigating whether Boris Johnson deliberately misled Parliament over the Partygate scandal have demanded a tranche of documents, including the prime minister’s diaries and photographs of events.
The Committee of Privileges wrote to Mr Johnson and the cabinet secretary, Simon Case, on Friday to seek documents before beginning its evidence sessions in September — after the summer recess.
Ordering No 10 to release documents, MPs requested Mr Johnson’s diaries for eight dates, including the 19 June 2020 when his birthday gathering was held in the Cabinet Room for the prime minister.
Both Mr Johnson and the former chancellor, Rishi Sunak, were issued with fixed penalty notices for the event by the Metropolitan Police as part of their investigations into breaches of Covid regulations.
The MP also demanded the release of all email and electronic event invites — including via WhatsApp — Downing Street entry logs, and the prime minister’s briefing packs for appearances in the Commons.
Regarding photographs, MPs requested “all photos for days where Mr Johnson attended any event included in the timeline, including those by the PM’s official photographer Andrew Parsons”.
After Mr Johnson told MPs in December he had been given assurances no Covid rules were broken, they urged No 10 to release “all advice (including legal advice) and assurances recieved by Mr Johnson” relating to the events uner question.
In her letter to Mr Case and Mr Johnson, the chair of the committee and Labour MP Harriet Harman, said: “The committee would be grateful to recieve the specified documents by no later than 15 August”.
Before announcing his resignation last week, some MPs had been awaiting the outcome of the committee’s probe, which has the powers to reccomend sanctions, before moving against the prime minister.
Despite his imminent departure from No 10, the committee will continue its work into whether Mr Johnson deliberately misled Parliament, with the issue likely to be thrust back into the spotlight in September.
