Taxpayers will have to fork out at least £222,000 for Boris Johnson's legal fees as he defends himself against claims he misled parliament over Partygate, MPs have heard. The bill for lawyers advising the former prime minister has risen from £129,700 in August 2021, and could go up again depending on
how long the privileges committee inquiry takes, officials have admitted.
The committee is investigating whether Mr Johnson committed contempt of parliament by telling the Commons on several occasions that there were no lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street. He received a fixed-penalty notice from the Metropolitan Police over a string of parties in Downing Street during England's first lockdown in May, November and December 2020 and April 2021.
This story is from the January 27, 2023 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the January 27, 2023 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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