who served in the obama administration as assistant to the secretary of state. we start here in the uk, where the former prime minister borisjohnson has been facing a grilling over whether he intentionally misled parliament over parties he attended while the uk was under covid restrictions. this investigation is not about whether mrjohnson attended this investigation is not about whether mrjohnson attended events of if they were rule breaking gatherings. it s about whether he deliberately lied. let s remind ourselves of what happened and what was said. and photos like this putting borisjohnson at the scene of parties in downing street. this was taken during covid restrictions in england when social events were banned. but mp s are now looking at whether mrjohnson misled parliament during moments like this. this was december 2021 when reports of parties first emerged.
issues that. he said that no one raised any issues with that. he said that no one raised any issues with him at all except for dominic issues with him at all except for dominic cummings, who said he couldn t dominic cummings, who said he couldn t trust. actually, he must ve read ail couldn t trust. actually, he must ve read all the evidence that was put out in read all the evidence that was put out in the read all the evidence that was put out in the public domain before and that included evidence from an mp who explicitly told the committee that he who explicitly told the committee that he did warn that the event, the party in that he did warn that the event, the party in the that he did warn that the event, the party in the garden was against the rules party in the garden was against the rules and party in the garden was against the rules. and that he was very concerned about it. it shouldn t go ahead concerned about it. it shouldn t go ahead so concerned abou
what spin doctors. to get their view on what happened, he didn t. you talk about the fact what happened, he didn t. you talk about the fact that what happened, he didn t. you talk about the fact that this what happened, he didn t. you talk about the fact that this is what happened, he didn t. you talk about the fact that this is more - about the fact that this is more about the fact that this is more about ministerial accountability, this is about what will happen after this is about what will happen after this whole process is over. how much damage do you think has been done for all of what has happened within this whole party gate scandal and what has happened in terms of the former prime minister in 20 said or didn t say to parliament. i former prime minister in 20 said or didn t say to parliament. didn t say to parliament. i think that the whole didn t say to parliament. i think that the whole question - didn t say to parliament. i think that the whole question which l
this is one of the many committees of politicians which oversee the government s work and parliament s internal affairs. it has seven members. by convention, it s always chaired by an opposition mp. it s made up of four conservatives and three opposition mps. here s the committee s chairwoman, labour s harriet harman. what the house has mandated us to look at is whether mrjohnson told the truth to parliament to the best of his knowledge about number ten s compliance with those collegiate about number ten s compliance with those covid rules and guidance. it is about the truth, and that is why this inquiry goes to the heart of the trust on which our system of accountability depends. one of the key things being looked at is how long it took mrjohnson to correct some of his statements to parliament, which he acknowledges were misleading. here s what he had to say on that. the committee criticises the manner
mrjohnson has accepted he misled parliament, but denies it was done recklessly or intentionally. let s listen to what he had to ssay to the committee the purpose of this inquiry is not to be open so called party gate, it is to discover whether or not i lied to parliament, misleading colleagues in the country about what i knew and believed about those gatherings when i said that the rules and the guidance had been followed at number ten. i am here to say to you, hand on heart, that i did not lie to the house. when those statements were made, they were made in good faith and on the basis of what i honestly knew and believed at the time. it s worth just reminding ourselves about the group of mps, the privileges committee, who are investigating whether boris johnson deliberately misled parliament.