Downing Street parties: Boris Johnson doesn’t believe he broke the law, says No 10 – live updates

The Downing Street lobby briefing has just finished, and the PM’s spokesman has confirmed that the findings of the Sue Gray inquiry into the events now being investigated by the police will not be published until the inquiry is over.

In the Commons a few minutes ago Michael Ellis, a minister, said the Gray inquiry would continue.

But at the lobby briefing the spokesman implied that the Gray inquiry would be effectively split in two. The findings relating to events that were not deemed illegal might be published soon, he implied. But the other findings would be held back. The spokesman told journalistss:

As the terms of reference make clear, they won’t publish anything that relates to the work of the police, there are a number of events and allegations that they have looked into that the police said don’t reach their threshold, which they are able to continue looking into. And it is my understanding that they will be able to publish detail about those events rather than ones which the police might be taking forward.

It’s up to the investigation team when they publish, it’s my understanding they are able to publish the aspects that aren’t a matter for the police.

The spokeman also told reporters that Boris Johnson thought it was “entirely right” for the police to investigate.

The prime minister think it is entirely right for the police to investigate these matters. He commissioned the Cabinet Office to find out the facts.

The spokesman sidestepped questions about whether Johnson is now getting legal advice ahead of the police inquiry.

But he said Johnson still does not think he broke the law.

Justin Madders (Lab) asks why the PM is still in his job when he told MPs there was no party.

Ellis says people work are entitled to a “reasonable break”. He says eating cake for 10 minutes does not constitute a party.

Back in the Commons Lia Nici (Con) claimed her constituents were “sick and tired” of hearing opposition MPs go on continually about partygate. She asked Michael Ellis, the minister, to pass on to the PM their support, and their desire for him to carry on implementing his policies.

Ellis said other MPs were passing on the same message.

This is what the PM’s spokesman told journalists at the Downing Street lobby briefing about the PM’s reaction to the Met police inquiry.

Firstly, the prime minister thinks it is entirely right for the police to investigate these matters.

He commissioned the Cabinet Office to establish the facts and, as set out in the published terms of reference, and as the [Met] commissioner has said this morning, the independent process has always involved the sharing of information with the Met and the ability for the Met to take forward and investigate matters pertaining to the law, as is right.

The PM fully acknowledges the public’s anger and concern about what has been reported, he has taken responsibility for his judgments made and it is right the Met should be now given the time and space to undertake their investigations.

It will provide the public with welcome clarity and help draw a line under these events and everyone required will fully co-operate in any way they are asked.

The spokesman also said that Boris Johnson knew before cabinet started that the Met commissioner would be announcing a police investigation. But he did not mention it during cabinet, apart from an allusion to it at the end, the spokesman said.

Mark Jenkinson (Con) says the opposition benches are “in cahoots with the media” to undemocratically unseat the prime minister because he is a threat to them.

In the Commons Stuart Anderson (Con) tells MPs that calling for Boris Johnson’s resignation is only “strengthening Putin’s hand”.

In the Common Giles Watling (Con) say this urgent question is “a vexatious waste of everybody’s time”.

The Speaker, Sir Linsday Hoyle, says that is a reflection on his judgment in granting it. Watling withdraws his question.

In the Commons some Conservative MPs are defending Boris Johnson. Sir Edward Leigh urges colleagues to maintain “a sense of proportion” about the PM being given a piece of cake by staff. And Richard Bacon said this was not as serious as Tony Blair being interviewed by the police about cash for honours (see 12.26pm), or a Labour MP taking money from a Chinese spy.

The Downing Street lobby briefing has just finished, and the PM’s spokesman has confirmed that the findings of the Sue Gray inquiry into the events now being investigated by the police will not be published until the inquiry is over.

In the Commons a few minutes ago Michael Ellis, a minister, said the Gray inquiry would continue.

But at the lobby briefing the spokesman implied that the Gray inquiry would be effectively split in two. The findings relating to events that were not deemed illegal might be published soon, he implied. But the other findings would be held back. The spokesman told journalistss:

As the terms of reference make clear, they won’t publish anything that relates to the work of the police, there are a number of events and allegations that they have looked into that the police said don’t reach their threshold, which they are able to continue looking into. And it is my understanding that they will be able to publish detail about those events rather than ones which the police might be taking forward.

It’s up to the investigation team when they publish, it’s my understanding they are able to publish the aspects that aren’t a matter for the police.

The spokeman also told reporters that Boris Johnson thought it was “entirely right” for the police to investigate.

The prime minister think it is entirely right for the police to investigate these matters. He commissioned the Cabinet Office to find out the facts.

The spokesman sidestepped questions about whether Johnson is now getting legal advice ahead of the police inquiry.

But he said Johnson still does not think he broke the law.

Ellis says Rayner he agrees with her they should be focusing on cost-of-living matters instead.

The fact that the police are investigating does not mean people will be fined, he says. He says “potentially” is an operable word. He cites the statement from Cressida Dick.

(In fact, unusually, the Met statement about this investigation implied there was little doubt about the law having been broken in this case. See 11.03am.)

Angela Rayner, the deputy Labour leader, says the terms of reference for the Sue Gray inquiry say if evidence of criminal behaviour is found, it must be referred to the police.

When will the Gray report be published?

Will it be published in full, with accompanying evidence?

What will Gray do while the police investigation is under way?

Is the chancellor cooperating with the Gray inquiry, as a resident of Downing Street?

Rayner says only a few weeks ago the PM said there was no party. How does Ellis explain that?

Michael Ellis, the Cabinet Office minister, is responding to the Labour UQ.

He says he recognises public indignation that people setting the rules “may” not have been following them.

That “may” prompts some laughter.

He repeats the point he made two weeks ago about how, if evidence of criminality occurred, the matter could be referred to the police.

He says there has been contact between the police and Sue Gray’s team. But the Cabinet Office investigation led by Gray will continue, he says.

He says the findings of the investigation will be provided to MPs, and made public.

He says he cannot comment on an ongoing police investigation.

From my colleague Jessica Elgot

A reader has been in touch to ask if Downing Street has ever been investigated by the police before. The answer is yes, and not that long ago. When Tony Blair was PM, the police investigated claims that honours had been effectively sold by No 10 (the cash-for-honours scandal). The prime minister’s chief fundraiser, and a key No 10 aide, were arrested as part of the inquiry, but eventually the CPS decided not to press charges.

Blair himself was interviewed by the police as part of the inquiry. But, in what may set a precedence of sorts for this case, Blair was not interviewed under caution. In other words, he was interviewed as a witness, not as a suspect.

Around that time it was reported that the police were told by Downing Street that, if they did interview Blair under caution, he felt would have to resign.

Whether Boris Johnson will feel the same principle ought to apply in his case is yet to be revealed.

Michael Fabricant, the Conservative backbencher, has been one of Boris Johnson’s most vocal supporters in recent days, but not all his contributions to the public debate have been judged wise or helpful by colleagues. This may be another contribution to the collection.

For an alternative view, this is from Iain Dale, the broadcaster and former Conservative party aide.

The Conservative MP Simon Hoare has said Boris Johnson’s situation is “increasingly difficult”, Bloomberg’s Kitty Donaldson reports.

Lord Evans, the chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, said this morning that MPs should have “less direct involvement” in “judging each other” on their conduct. Giving evidence to the Commons standards committee on the code of conduct for MPs, he said:

I think that in terms of the public credibility of disciplinary processes, if you want to put it in those terms, I think the general sort of direction of travel in recent years has been towards more independence.

So … 40 years ago, many of the professions would have looked to their professional body to regulate them. I think, increasingly, that has proved not to be as effective as there has been a public appetite for – so, accountancy … has a separate regulator now, and that’s true of many of the other professions.

I think there is a scepticism as to whether … adjudicating on the behaviour of your friends and close associates is credible.

So our view was that in terms of the effectiveness and credibility of the system… less direct involvement of MPs in judging each other would have greater credibility.

Sadiq Khan, the Labour mayor of London, has welcomed the news that the Met police are investigating lockdown breaches at No 10. He said:

I welcome confirmation that the Met police is investigating a number of events that took place at Downing Street and Whitehall in the last two years in relation to potential breaches of the law.

The public rightly expect the police to uphold the law without fear or favour, no matter who that involves, and I have been clear that members of the public must be able to expect the highest standards from everyone, including the prime minister and those around him.

No one is above the law. There cannot be one rule for the government and another for everyone else.

Boris Johnson is due to make a statement to MPs about the Russian threat to Ukraine. It will start at around 1.15pm.