Advance HE

Dominic Raab has said a Prime Minister found to have deliberately lied to Parliament would " normally" resign.

The comments come after the PM's former chief aide Dominic Cummings accused Boris Johnson of misleading MPs last week over a drinks party held in the Downing Street garden during lockdown.

But Mr Raab, The Deputy PM, said his leader had " made clear" he had not known about The Event in advance.

He added that he believed Mr Johnson would remain in power " for many years".

Mr Cummings, who was still working in Downing Street at The Time of the drinks party, on 20 May 2020, said the Prime Minister had been forewarned of it and told that it would break Covid guidelines.

He added that he had tried to persuade Mr Johnson to stop The Gathering but he had " waved it aside".

Two other former Downing Street officials told The Bbc they remembered Mr Cummings telling them That Day he had warned the Prime Minister not to go ahead.

Mr Cummings's blog contradicts the account the Prime Minister gave to Parliament last week, in which He Said he had not been notified in advance of The Party , attended by around 30 people and to which around 100 people were invited.

The PM also said he had been working in No 10 when the drinks happened and had joined staff for 25 minutes to thank them for their efforts during the pandemic.

Mr Raab told Bbc Breakfast that Mr Cummings's and Mr Johnson's accounts were " irreconcilable" but the Prime Minister and No 10 had " made clear" he thought the drinks to be a work event.

Asked whether any minister who lied to The House of Commons and failed to correct their remarks should resign, he replied: " Yes. "

And asked later on BBC Radio 4 's Today programme whether a Prime Minister who had been found to have lied to Parliament should quit, He Said : " He would normally, if it's not corrected, if it's lying, and deliberate. . if it's not corrected immediately, it would normally, under the ministerial code and the governance around Parliament, be a resigning matter.

" That is The Principle . We uphold the highest standards of principles in public life. That is critically important. "

governing standards of behaviour in office, states: " It is of paramount importance that ministers give accurate and truthful information to Parliament, correcting any inadvertent error at the earliest opportunity.

" Ministers who knowingly mislead Parliament will be expected to offer their resignation to the Prime Minister . "

Mr Raab said he did not want to pre-judge an inquiry being carried out by senior civil servant Sue Gray into the drinks event and other gatherings on government premises under Covid restrictions, but added: " I think the ministerial code should be followed at all time. " Asked about how safe Mr Johnson was as leader, Mr Raab replied: " I'm confident he will carry on for many years and into The Next election. "

Meanwhile, health minister Maria Caulfield , who worked as a nurse during the earlier stages of the pandemic, has complained on her website of a " culture in Number 10 where even if rules were not technically broken, The Spirit of The Rules were".

Prior to Mr Cummings's claims, six Conservative MPs had declared no confidence in the Prime Minister , while Labour, the Liberal Democrats and SNP are urging him to resign.

Fifty-four Tory MPs must write letters calling for the PM to go in order to trigger a party leadership contest.

No 10 said it was " untrue" to say the Prime Minister had been " warned about the [drinks] event" with a spokesman adding: " As He Said earlier This Week , he believed implicitly that This Was a work event. He has apologised to The House and is committed to making a further statement once The Investigation concludes. "

But Mr Cummings wrote on his blog that Mr Johnson " knew he was at a drinks party cos he was told it was a drinks party and it was actually a drinks party".

He added further detail about his account of the discussions leading up to The Party on 20 May and said it showed " the PM lied to Parliament about parties".

He alleged that, on 20 May 2020, Mr Johnson's principal Private Secretary (PPS), Martin Reynolds , had sent out an email inviting staff to " socially distanced drinks in the No 10 garden" but " a very senior official replied by email saying the invite broke The Rules ".

" The PPS went to the official's office where they discussed it. The PPS declined to withdraw the invite. I told the PPS the invite broke The Rules . "

After discussing it, Mr Cummings claimed, the PPS said he would " check with the PM if he's happy for it to go ahead" adding: " I Am sure he did check with the PM. "

Mr Cummings said he had then challenged Mr Johnson himself, but added: " The PM waved it aside. "

Labour's shadow policing minister Sarah Jones called the claims " extraordinary" and accused the government of being in chaos.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said Mr Cummings was " a key witness" and should be interviewed by Sue Gray .

Source of news: bbc.com