mason, that he was constantly assured by colleagues that no rules were being broken. who assured by colleagues that no rules were being broken. assured by colleagues that no rules were being broken. who checks that the advice that were being broken. who checks that the advice that a were being broken. who checks that the advice that a prime were being broken. who checks that the advice that a prime minister- were being broken. who checks that the advice that a prime minister is i the advice that a prime minister is getting from all different directions is consistent, it is not contradictory? it was very hard for all of us to keep abreast of the rules and regulations that were put in place during covid. we had those daily briefings at one point from the government and sometimes it was quite impenetrable for us to understand what we were meant to be doing and not doing. i understand what we were meant to be doing and not doing. doing and not doing. i think that is riaht and doing
phone call from an international leader or be summoned to the house of commons to give a urgent question or statement on an evolving matter, things are chopping and changing all of the time so it is right to have a number of advisers around you to give you the best possible advice, and to make sure that they can make your life as easy and smooth as it can be because of the precious you are under on a day to day basis. what borisjohnson is saying today is that at all times he honestly believed the rules were being followed in the event he attended in number ten, whether it was saying goodbye to colleagues leaving the building, that is something the committee will want to get to the bottom of, to ensure whether he was actually being open and transparent about whether he knew those rules were being broken, because as he was saying, just before you went to berlin to political editor chris
trust in politics at all times and there is no discrepancy about what has happened in number ten. rules were broken and fines were issued, the question is whether the prime minister knowingly and intentionally and recklessly misled parliament. he was giving the start of his defence and that is what the committee is trying to get to the bottom of. talk to us about trying to get to the bottom of. talk to us about the trying to get to the bottom of. talk to us about the nature, the scale, the scope of briefings that a sitting prime minister is going to be subjected to, even on a quiet day, it is a busyjob, but in the heights of a pandemic, in the middle of covid, those briefings must be coming at a prime minister left, right and centre. you coming at a prime minister left, right and centre. coming at a prime minister left, right and centre. you are right, no two da s right and centre. you are right, no two days are right and centre. you are right, no two days are the right and ce
obviously as the prime minister of the country, the man in charge of leading the country during the lockdown, implementing those regulations, it is a bone of contention whether the former prime minister knowingly and recklessly misled parliament when he was saying all the rules were followed at all times. ., , , . ., ., , ., times. former special adviser to the former prime times. former special adviser to the former prime minister times. former special adviser to the former prime minister theresa - times. former special adviser to the former prime minister theresa may, thank you very much indeed for joining us here on the bbc news. i am joined in joining us here on the bbc news. i amjoined in the joining us here on the bbc news. i am joined in the studio by our political correspondent rob watson. also with us in the studio is dr alice lilly, who s a senior researcher at the institute for government, which is a nonpartisan think tank. and from westminster, we rejoined byjames heale,
labour opposition mps, including two from labour and opposition mps, including two from labour and one from the snp. having said that, labour and one from the snp. having said that, we leave our party interests said that, we leave our party interests at the door of the committee room and conduct our work in the committee room and conduct our work in the interests of the house. that is what in the interests of the house. that is what we in the interests of the house. that is what we are doing in this inquiry and what is what we are doing in this inquiry and what we will continue to do. we are examining what mrjohnson said to the are examining what mrjohnson said to the house about gatherings in number to the house about gatherings in number ten, to the house about gatherings in numberten, whether to the house about gatherings in number ten, whether what he said to the house number ten, whether what he said to the house was correct or not, whether the house was corre