Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson accepts that the Commons was mislead but says that he made his statements ‘in good faith’ & would never have dreamed of recklessly or intentionally misleading the Commons
In evidence to the House of Commons Privileges Committee released to the public today,he says the only evidence that he intentionally misled the Commons is from the ‘discredited Dominic Cummings’, and that Cummings’ assertions are not ‘supported by any documentation’
‘It is no secret that Dominic Cummings bears animus to me, having publicly stated on several occasions that he wanted to do everything he could to remove me from power’ he says in the evidence
He said that the ‘vast majority of individuals’ who have given evidence to the privileges committee ‘have not indicated that they considered their attendance in breach of the law’
Johnson argues that the committee has gone beyond the scope of its own inquiry by accusing him of breaching guidance adding that the committee’s scope is and should be limited to the regulations
However he concedes that he made ‘observations’ about social distancing at events he attended
‘I might well have made observations in speeches about social distancing, and whether it was being perfectly observed’
