Former prime minister Boris Johnson has handed over evidence for his defence. PA
Former prime minister Boris Johnson has handed over evidence for his defence. PA
Former prime minister Boris Johnson has handed over evidence for his defence. PA
Former prime minister Boris Johnson has handed over evidence for his defence. PA

Boris Johnson’s partygate: Key dates


Simon Rushton
  • English
  • Arabic

Boris Johnson has “a lot of explaining to do” when he is questioned by MPs on Wednesday about the partygate scandal and comments in the House of Commons that played a role in his downfall as prime minister.

He is scheduled to appear before the Commons Privileges Committee, which is investigating accusations that he misled Parliament.

Dominic Grieve, a former Conservative attorney general, outlined the circle the former prime minister has to square.

“Mr Johnson certainly does appear to have a considerable problem,” he said. “He attended some of the gatherings which were parties, and yet he said that there weren't any gatherings.

“And it's a bit difficult therefore to understand how he didn't know that there had been parties going on at No 10 Downing Street,” Mr Grieve said.

The Sue Gray report has established that widespread rule-breaking took place. And a police inquiry led to fines for 83 people, including Mr Johnson, for attending lawbreaking events.

Opposition parties have accused the former prime minister of misleading MPs about what he knew about gatherings in government buildings during coronavirus lockdowns.

Mr Johnson has always denied misleading Parliament, and told the Commons he believed at the time the events in question were within the rules.

Key dates

May 15, 2020

One of the first events that spawned the partygate controversy. Mr Johnson was photographed with his wife Carrie and Downing Street staff at a table with bottles of wine and a cheeseboard in the garden of No 10.

June 19, 2020

For Mr Johnson’s 56th birthday, staff met in the Cabinet Room for a surprise get-together organised by Ms Johnson.

December 15, 2020

An online Christmas quiz. Mr Johnson appeared on screen sitting between two colleagues.

April 16, 2021

Leaving parties held in London for staff on the eve of the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral.

January 31, 2022

Ms Gray issues redacted report, finding rule-breaking at No 10 and in Whitehall. She said there were “failures of leadership and judgment”.

April 12, 2022

Mr Johnson becomes the first prime minister to be fined for breaking the law while in office. The current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Ms Johnson were also fined.

May 25, 2022

The full Gray report verifies the extent of misbehaviour inside No 10 and elsewhere.

July 7, 2022

Mr Johnson resigns as prime minister, as a widening ethics scandal developed.

What is the committee examining?

They are investigating whether Mr Johnson misled Parliament, or in parliamentary language committed a contempt of Parliament by keeping it from the task of holding him to account.

The strongest punishment would come after a verdict that he deliberately misled MPs.

Another option for MPs is to find he “recklessly” misled Parliament.

Labour’s Harriet Harman is chairwoman of the Privileges Committee. The other members are Bernard Jenkin, Charles Walker, Andy Carter, Alberto Costa, Yvonne Fovargue and Allan Dorans.

Mr Johnson has always protested his innocence, rejecting any suggestion that he “knowingly or recklessly misled Parliament”.

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

THE DETAILS

Kaala

Dir: Pa. Ranjith

Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar  

Rating: 1.5/5 

TOURNAMENT INFO

Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier

Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November

UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
House-hunting

Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove

  1. Edinburgh, Scotland 
  2. Westminster, London 
  3. Camden, London 
  4. Glasgow, Scotland 
  5. Islington, London 
  6. Kensington and Chelsea, London 
  7. Highlands, Scotland 
  8. Argyll and Bute, Scotland 
  9. Fife, Scotland 
  10. Tower Hamlets, London 

 

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPAD%20PRO%20(12.9%22%2C%202022)
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The candidates

Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

Ali Azeem, business leader

Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist

Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

 

Essentials

The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours 
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.

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Related
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The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
BAD%20BOYS%3A%20RIDE%20OR%20DIE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Updated: March 21, 2023, 12:26 PM`