Boris to give evidence in inquiry into whether he lied to Parliament as committee says partygate breaches were ‘obvious’

BORIS Johnson is set to give bombshell evidence to the Commons committee investigating Partygate in less than three weeks.

In a dramatic public hearing, the ex-PM will try and prove he DIDN'T lie to MPs about illegal gatherings in Downing Street during the pandemic.

It comes as the investigating Privileges Committee published its first report today, finding breaches of Covid guidance would have been "obvious" to Boris at some of the boozy events he went to.

And the 24-page dossier said there's evidence the ex-PM's press advisors "struggled" to believe rules were always followed.

On one occasion a No10 official sent a WhatsApp message saying their colleague is "worried about leaks of PM having a piss up".

"To be fair, I don’t think it’s unwarranted,” they wrote.

On a different occasion, No10's communications chief sent a text about a lockdown party claiming: “Haven’t heard any explanation of how it’s in the rules.

“I’m struggling to come up with a way this one is in the rules in my head.”

Striking new pictures in the report also show Boris and his officials surrounded by party food, beers and bottles of wine on three separate occasions during lockdowns.

BoJo is set to give oral evidence to the Privileges Committee in the week beginning March 20.

Its seven members will then take weeks or possibly months to reach conclusions.

If he's found to have knowingly lied in the Commons chamber he faces being suspended as an MP or even expelled.

In a forthright statement BoJo said today's report vindicates" him and shows "no evidence" he "knowingly or recklessly misled parliament". 

"I am grateful to the committee for their work over the last ten months," he said.

"I believe that their labours have helped establish the obvious truth: It is clear from this report that I have not committed any contempt of parliament.

"It is also clear that what I have been saying about this matter from the beginning has been vindicated."

The ex-PM also slammed the Partygate probe as tainted because it will rely on evidence from Sue Gray.

The top mandarin investigated Boris last year and produced a damning report accusing him of creating a culture of booze that led to ministers and officials breaking the rules they had inflicted on the country.

Yesterday Ms Gray quit her job in the Levelling Up Department to join Labour as Sir Keir Starmer's right-hand woman.

Boris said: "It is surreal to discover that the committee proposes to rely on evidence culled and orchestrated by Sue Gray, who has just been appointed chief of staff to the Leader of the Labour Party.

""I leave it to others to decide how much confidence may now be placed in her inquiry and in the reports that she produced."

A spokesperson for the committee hit back, insisting its report is not based on the world famous Gray report.

They said: "The committee’s report is not based on the Sue Gray report.

"Sue Gray was present at neither and is not one of those witnesses."

Yesterday Tory MPs raged as news of Ms Gray's big move rippled across Westminster.

Labour vowed its new hire was never compromised during her time in the Civil Service, including when she investigated Boris.

The party insisted she always acted with impartiality and integrity.