Boris Johnson: I don’t believe I ever lied about Partygate in Parliament

Boris Johnson does not believe he lied about the Partygate scandal in Parliament, his official spokesman has said.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed early on Tuesday that an initial 20 fines were to be issued over lockdown breaches in Downing Street and Whitehall. Johnson himself has not yet received a fine.

The PM has repeatedly defended himself over allegations he, his staff and his family broke COVID restrictions on a number of occasions.

After reports of lockdown breaches first emerged last year, Johnson told the House of Commons: "I repeat that I have been repeatedly assured since these allegations emerged that there was no party and that no COVID rules were broken.

"That is what I have been repeatedly assured.”

Johnson's spokesman denied this amounted to misleading the House of Commons.

“At all times he has set out his understanding of events,” the spokesman said.

Watch: First 20 fines to be issued over Westminster’s partygate scandal

Asked if Johnson would apologise now police had concluded the law had been broken, the spokesman said he would have more to say when the investigation was over.

“The prime minister has apologised to the House already,” the spokesman said.

“He has said sorry for the things that we did not get right. He has said sorry for the ways things have been handled and that mistakes have been made.

“You can expect to hear more from the prime minister when the investigation is concluded and Sue Gray has set out her report.”

Elsewhere, the PM's spokesperson said Number 10 would not share the names or identities of those fined - nor whether it includes a member of his family or anybody in his office.

On whether the PM believed the fines were a resigning issue, Number 10 did not provide a clear answer - but said, if there were sackings or resignations over fines, the number would not be shared. "There are specific HR processes in place for individuals," the spokesperson said.

Civil servants will also not be ordered to disclose whether they have been fined to their managers - despite the civil service code stating civil servants must: "comply with the law and uphold the administration of justice."

The PM's spokesperson also said there is no plan for a review into Number 10 as to how it was possible for the law to be broken in the PM's own house if the gatherings happened without his knowledge as he claims.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said the new of the fines proves the PM misled the house.

Ministers – including the prime minister – are expected to resign if they are found to have deliberately lied in parliament.

Streeting wrote on Twitter: "Fines issued by the police for parties in Downing Street that broke the lockdown rules.

"According to Boris Johnson these were the parties that never happened. "He’s a proven liar and lied repeatedly to the House of Commons and the country."

Safiah Ngah, 29, from Islington in north London lost her father Zahari, 68, to the virus in February 2021 - and condemned the law breaking in Number 10 following the issuing of the fines.

"[It is] really frustrating and it makes me incredibly angry that we even have to hear that the government didn’t take their own rules seriously," Ngah told PA news agency.

“I think there’s a real discrepancy between the way that the public viewed the pandemic and the way that the government viewed it, and it really feels like they were just taking it as a bit of a joke.

“I think that the buck stops with Boris Johnson. It’s absolutely his responsibility and as the leader, he should take responsibility for what goes wrong.”