Dominic Cummings claims Boris Johnson ‘lied to Parliament’ over lockdown-busting No10 garden party
DOMINIC Cummings tonight accused Boris Johnson of lying to Parliament over the party-gate affair.
The rogue Brexit guru said he warned the PM directly that a drinks party in the Downing Street garden at the height of the first lockdown was against the rules.
But No10 have repeatedly denied Mr Johnson was aware of the “bring your own booze” invite sent to staff by his private secretary Martin Reynolds.
The PM issued a public apology last week over revelations that 100 Downing Street staff were invited to the boozy bash in May 2020.
He told the Commons that he attended the event for 25 minutes to “thank staff” and “believed implicitly that this was a work event”.
But last night Cummings said that was a lie.
The ex-No 10 adviser said he raised concerns that the email invite to the socially distanced drinks “broke the rules” before the event took place - and he says he warned Mr Johnson.
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He wrote on his blog: “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.”
But he claims “the PM waved it aside.”
The incendiary leaked email is at the heart of a make or break probe into the scandal conducted by Whitehall sleaze-buster Sue Gray.
Mr Johnson has now given evidence to the inquiry, with No10 desperate for its findings to be sped up after days of MPs calling for his head.
Whitehall officials are hopeful it may be published by the end of the week, but warn Gray is “raging” about information being withheld from her and leaks about her report to the media.
In his latest explosive intervention into the saga, Mr Cummings blasted that regarding that day alone, "never mind the string of other events", the Prime Minister "lied to Parliament about parties" by insisting he had been assured no events had taken place that would have broken coronavirus rules.
'I WILL SWEAR UNDER OATH'
"Not only me but other eyewitnesses who discussed this at the time would swear under oath this is what happened," he said.
Tonight No10 repeated their insistence that “It is untrue that the Prime Minister was warned about the event in advance.”
“As he said earlier this week he believed implicitly that this was a work event.
“He has apologised to the House and is committed to making a further statement once the investigation concludes.”
Deputy PM Dominic Raab also flew to the PM's defence, adding: "The suggestion that he's lied is nonsense."
But the justice secretary did acknowledge that any minister who has been found to have misled Parliament should resign.
And he admitted that the party scandal has come up on the doorstep during canvassing with voters expressing "mixed views".
He said: "Double standards is toxic. I get the frustration. As lawmakers the Government has got to take a lead and show it's acting to the highest standards."
Earlier today top Boris ally Nadhim Zahawi insisted that Mr Johnson was “safe in his job” adding “he is human and we make mistakes.
But former Brexit-ally Steve Baker MP warned it was “impossible to say” if Mr Johnson will lead the Tories into the next election because people may be “too angry to forgive” the lockdown smashing bashes.
Today a poll by Opinium of Tory members found two thirds back Mr Johnson as PM but a quarter want him to quit.
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Just six per cent said they believed Mr Johnson was telling the truth about parties, with a 29 per cent saying he was not.
And a private poll circulated by Tory donors pointed to the Conservatives getting hammered at the next election with Mr Johnson in charge, but Rishi Sunak securing a hung parliament.