Boris: I misled MPs but not intentionally

BORIS Johnson admitted misleading MPs but denied doing so "intentionally or recklessly' as he published a defence dossier apportioning blame to advisers and criticising Parliament's inquiry.

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The former prime minister rejected accusations of a coverup and insisted his partygate assurances were made "in good faith", based on what he believed at the time, as he fights to avoid a possible suspension from the Commons.

He accused the cross-party Privileges Committee of overstepping its remit in his 52-page defence, which was released yesterday, a day before the live grilling that could determine his political fate.

The group of MPs undertaking the inquiry said his legal argument "contains no new documentary evidence" as Mr Johnson seeks to convince them he did not commit a contempt of Parliament. In his written evidence, Mr Johnson also:

Argued he "would never have dreamed" of misleading MPS with his denials of lockdown-breaching parties in No 10 during the pandemic.