Prime Minister would 'normally' be expected to resign if they lied to Parliament, says Dominic Raab

A Prime Minister would “normally” be expected to resign if they had lied to Parliament, a Cabinet Minister has said, amid fresh allegations that Boris Johnson was pre-warned about a drinks party at Number 10 in lockdown.

Deputy Prime Minister Dominc Raab dismissed the accusations levelled at Mr Johnson as “nonsense” when he spoke to broadcasters this morning.

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The Prime Minister is facing fresh calls to resign after his former top aide Dominic Cummings said he had warned against the “bring your own booze” event in the Downing Street garden during the first lockdown.

In a blog post published on Monday evening, Mr Cummings said he was willing to “swear under oath” that Mr Johnson had lied when claiming he did not know the May 20 2020 event would be a “drinks party” in advance.

Justice Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab arrives in Downing Street, London, ahead of the government's weekly Cabinet meetingJustice Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab arrives in Downing Street, London, ahead of the government's weekly Cabinet meeting
Justice Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab arrives in Downing Street, London, ahead of the government's weekly Cabinet meeting

In the Commons last week, the Prime Minister admitted spending 25 minutes at the gathering but insisted he had believed “implicitly” that it would be a work event.

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Speaking to BBC Radio 4 this morning Mr Raab was asked what should happen if it was proven that Mr Johnson had lied to colleagues in the House of Commons.

Mr Raab, who also serves as Justice Secretary, said that “lying, deliberate in the way you describe, if it’s not corrected immediately, it would normally under the ministerial code and the governance around Parliament be a resigning matter.”

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Dominic Cummings claims Boris Johnson 'waved aside' concerns over Downing Street...

He also told Times Radio: “The suggestion that he lied is nonsense. He’s made it very clear to the House of Commons that questions on this, that he thought it was a work event.”

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The blog from former Downing Street staffer Mr Cummings on Monday evening alleged that he and another top official had issued warnings that the event which went ahead on May 20 2020 was in breach of the coronavirus regulations.

“I said to the PM something like: ‘Martin’s invited the building to a drinks party, this is what I’m talking about, you’ve got to grip this madhouse’. The PM waved it aside,” Mr Cummings wrote.

“The events of May 20 alone, never mind the string of other events, mean the PM lied to Parliament about parties.

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“Not only me but other eyewitnesses who discussed this at the time would swear under oath this is what happened.”

A No 10 spokesman insisted Mr Johnson had apologised to the House and that he “believed implicitly” that he had been attending a work event.