Dominic Raab appeared to briefly admit there was a “social gathering” in No 10 whereas the remainder of the nation confronted extreme Covid lockdown restrictions — earlier than rowing again on his remarks.
The feedback from the deputy prime minister got here as he tried to dismiss the explosive claims from Dominic Cummings, the previous chief Downing Avenue adviser, that Boris Johnson had lied to Parliament.
Simply final week the prime minister was pressured to confess he attended the “carry your individual booze” occasion within the Downing Avenue on 20 Could 20 — however insisted to MPs he “believed implicitly that this was a piece occasion”.
In a clumsy trade, Mr Raab, who additionally serves because the justice secretary, informed Sky Information: “There was hypothesis that the 20 Could social gathering was held in my honour to thank me — it’s simply ridiculous. In fact not, ridiculous”.
When challenged by presenter Kay Burley, who mentioned “so it was a celebration on 20 Could then”, the deputy prime minister backtracked, saying: “No, no, no — that is the declare that was made.
“It was nonsense, I wasn’t invited and I didn’t attend,” he pressured, referring to claims final week the occasion had been organized partly to say because of Mr Raab for “holding the fort” when the prime minister was in hospital after contracting Covid.
Mr Raab added: “What I can inform you from what I noticed… is No 10, notably throughout that interval when the PM was unwell and in hospital, but additionally all through the pandemic, has been working phenomenally arduous below gruelling circumstances.
“I don’t personally from my very own expertise recognise the caricature that they have been all partying.”
Talking after Mr Cummings claimed Mr Johnson had been warned by not less than two folks in No 10 to cancel the invite despatched to 100 employees members to the “drinks social gathering”, Mr Raab insisted: “The PM has been very clear that that’s not true or correct”.
He additionally informed BBC Radio 4’s At the moment programme that for a primary minister to intentionally misinform Parliament would “usually” be a resigning matter.
“If it’s mendacity, deliberate in the best way you describe, if it’s not corrected instantly, it could usually, below the ministerial mode and the governance round Parliament, be a resigning matter.”
Nonetheless, he declined to be drawn on Mr Johnson’s place, saying: “I’m not going to pre-judge the info on this or every other side of the claims which have been made.”
Kaynak: briturkish.com
