Partygate cover-up 'strictly for the birds', says Johnson

Boris Johnson has lashed out over the Partygate scandal, accusing anyone who suspects he deliberately covered up Covid lockdown parties in No 10 of being "out of their mind".

- ADAM FORREST

The former prime minister said the claim was "strictly for the birds", despite being under investigation for allegedly lying to parliament over lockdown breaches.

In an interview with loyal Tory ally Nadine Dorries - who Mr Johnson is believed to have recommended for a peerage - he said he thought their mid-pandemic gatherings were "within the rules". The former Tory leader insisted he had to be "respectful" to the cross-party privileges committee that is undertaking the inquiry into him.

"But I'll just repeat what I've said before, and I hope it's obvious to everybody, that anybody who thinks I was knowingly going to parties that were breaking lockdown rules in No 10, or then knowingly covering up parties that were illicit that other people were going to, that's all strictly for the birds," he said.