• United Kingdom Boris Johnson, in the eye of the hurricane

Boris Johnson has assured that he acted "in good faith" when he said in the House of Commons that Covid rules had not been violated in Downing Street. In the 50-page report presented by his defense before the parliamentary committee where he will appear tomorrow for the "Partygate", the former prime minister admits that he could mislead the deputies with his statements, but that he did not do it "deliberately" or in "a reckless way".

"There is not a single document indicating that I received a notice that some of the events could amount to a violation of the (Covid) rules," Johnson said as part of the arguments put forward by the head of his legal team, Lord David Pannick. The report recalls that the only one who has come to insinuate that Johnson was warned was his "discredited" and defenestrated adviser Dominic Cummings.

The Privileges Committee, which will subject Johnson to a televised interrogation that can last up to five hours, has identified up to four occasions in which the former conservative leader may have "misled" or "confused" Parliament. In reference to his first statement, on December 1, 2021, Johnson says that he then "honestly believed that these were legal work meetings" and that he had no knowledge that "they could have escalated beyond what was legal when I left."

An investigation by Scotland Yard concluded with 126 fines for as many Covid breaches – including one for Johnson himself and another for his wife, Carrie – at at least 12 gatherings or "parties" in Downing Street, with alcoholic beverages and without respecting the current rules of social distancing.

The Privileges Committee, made up of seven MPs and chaired by Labour's Harriet Harman, released in advance four previously published photos of Johnson surrounded by aides at close range and with tables full of alcoholic beverages.

The committee has confirmed that it has not had access to new evidence beyond that examined by police and senior official Sue Gray in its internal report. Johnson's team has tried to debunk the "bias" of the investigation by claiming that Gray was at the same time in talks with opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer to become his chief of staff.

After Johnson's highly anticipated testimony, it will take several weeks for the committee to issue its conclusions, possibly in the first half of May. If there is a ruling against Johnson, the former "premier" could be temporarily suspended as an MP and a special election would be called to fill his seat in Uxbridge and South Ruislip. If he were "acquitted", Johnson could relaunch his political career and reopen the box of thunder within the Conservative Party, five months after the arrival of Rishi Sunak in Downing Street.

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  • Covid 19