Boris Johnson is currently at privileges committee and trying to fight for his political life.
His opening statement has more than a few nods to Malcolm Tucker’s appearance at a committee in the hit TV show The Thick of It.
Johnson
Boris Johnson says he wanted to included in the bundle published today by the committee evidence that would support his defence. That is “manifestly unfair”, he argued.
He then said said if it should have been obvious to him rules were broken, it should have been obvious to Rishi Sunak too.
Johnson says people think the photographs published show him breaking the rules. That is not the case.
He says they show him giving a few words of thanks at a work event for a leaving colleage.
And they show a few people standing together, as was permitted if social distancing was not possible.
He said, if it should have been obvious to him that the rules were being broken (which is the central argument in the report published by the committee earlier last month), then it should have been obvious to other people in the building too, “including the current prime minister”.
Lying
Johnson says committee is in effect accusing civil servants and advisers of ‘lying’ about Partygate too.
He said, if the committee thinks it should have been obvious to Johnson that rules were being broken, then the committee is in effect accusing civil servants of lying about what was happening too.
And they do not have the chance to give evidence to defend themselves, he says.
Johnson suggests Harriet Harman, the privileges committee chair, is biased against him
The former PM also said some aspects of this hearing are “extremely peculiar”.
He says Harriet Harman herself has said things that are “plainly and wrongly prejudicial, or prejudge the very issue you are adjudicating.”
Now take in all these desperate excuses and watch the following clip…
Watch
Related: Brexiter gives Boris Johnson the worst nickname possible
