Boris Johnson latest: Cabinet secretary says he ‘never told PM’ Covid rules had been followed

An official questioned whether Boris Johnson could realistically claim all guidance was followed at events at Downing Street during lockdown, evidence released by the Privileges Committee shows.

Martin Reynolds, Boris Johnson’s chief private secretary from October 2019 to March 2022, said he recalled asking Boris Johnson about the line proposed for PMQs on December 7 and suggested all rules and guidance had been followed.

Mr Reynolds said the former Prime Minister “did not welcome the disruption but did tell me he had received assurances that the communications event was within rules”.

“I accepted this but questioned whether, given the nature of the work environment in Number 10, it is realistic to argue that all guidance was followed at all times.

“He agreed to delete the reference to the instructions.”

A No10 official warned Boris Johnson’s former chief private secretary, Martin Reynolds, that the ‘bring your own boze’ party at Downing Street was a ‘bad idea’.

According to the Privileges Committee’s supporting documents, the officer said: “I saw the invitation and expressed my concern to Martin that I think this is a bad idea. I declined the invitation.

“I heard there were so many people unhappy about the party that they wouldn’t go.”

The Privileges Committee has released a dossier containing evidence gathered during its investigation into whether former Prime Minister Boris Johnson deliberately misled Parliament about irregular Covid-19 lockdown parties.

Johnson is scheduled to appear before the committee later on Wednesday.

Boris Johnson and Liz Truss have announced they will vote against Rishi Sunak’s Brexit deal.

Former Prime Minister Johnson, who had previously expressed concerns about the deal negotiated with Brussels, confirmed he would not back the deal when MPs vote on the Stormont brake in the House of Commons later on Wednesday.

The Privileges Committee is set to release its Partygate evidence at 9am – hours before Boris Johnson faces a cricket that could determine his political future.

The committee will release a “core bundle” of evidence this morning, which will be referred to during this afternoon’s session with the former prime minister, which is due to start at 2pm and could last four hours.

All the evidence compiled by the seven-member committee as part of its inquiry into whether Mr Johnson knowingly misled the House of Commons about his Partygate denials has already been shared with the former Prime Minister’s team.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said after the latest inflation figures that “falling inflation is not inevitable”.

The CPI inflation rate rose to 10.4 percent in February from 10.1 percent in January, according to the ONS.

“Falling inflation is not inevitable, so we must stick to our plan to halve it this year,” said the Chancellor.

“We know how difficult it is for families across the country and as we work to get inflation under control we will be helping families this year with living expenses worth an average of £3,300 per household.”

A man whose father died of Covid-19 and was buried the day before Boris Johnson was photographed sitting at a table enjoying wine and cheese in Garden No 10 with his wife Carrie and staff, described the Partygate defence of the former Prime Minister as “complete”. and utter nonsense”.

Mr Johnson accepted he had misled MPs but said his rejection was “in good faith” based on what he “honestly” knew at the time.

The CPI inflation rate rose to 10.4 percent in February, with food and drink prices again driving the rise, the Bureau for National Statistics said.

The latest rate rose from 10.1 percent in January but is nowhere near last year’s high of 11.1 percent in October.

ONS Chief Economist Grant Fitzner said: “Inflation rose in February, largely due to rising alcohol prices in pubs and restaurants following January’s price cut.

“Food and non-alcoholic beverage prices rose to their highest levels in over 45 years, with some salad and vegetable items in particular rising as high energy costs and inclement weather in parts of Europe led to shortages and rationing.

“These were partially offset by the fall in fuel costs, where the annual inflation rate has eased for seven straight months.”

MPs have backed a pension restructuring that Rishi Sunak claims will help reduce NHS waiting lists.

The Prime Minister argued that the tax cut for people with pension pots worth more than £1million will result in doctors taking on more hours, although he couldn’t say how many would continue to work as a result.

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