The privileges committee has published a “core bundle” of documents ahead of Boris Johnson’s grilling later today on whether he lied to MPs over partygate.

New evidence released by MPs looking into whether Boris Johnson lied about partygate shows that he was warned not to claim that all COVID guidance had been followed at lockdown gatherings in Downing Street, but he still denied it.

Martin Reynolds, the then-prime minister’s former principal private secretary, testified in writing that he questioned whether it was “realistic” to make this claim, given the nature of Number 10’s working environment.

He said he asked Mr. Johnson about the PMQs line on December 7 and added, ” He acknowledged that he had been assured that the communications event was in accordance with the rules, despite his disapproval of the interruption.

Given the nature of the working environment in Number 10, “I accepted this but questioned whether it was realistic to argue that all guidance had been followed at all times.”

Mr. Reynolds stated that Mr. Johnson had consented to the deletion of the guidance reference.

 “The guidance was followed and the rules were followed at all times,” he went on to say to the Commons the following day.