Boris Johnson news – live: Senior Tory says PM unfit for office after Partygate fine

Jess Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, asked if Boris Johnson would make the same speech “at the next fine”.

Police are still investigating claims of Downing Street parties during lockdown and the prime minister is thought to have attended as many as five of the gatherings under investigation, meaning he could ultimately face more fines.

Ms Phillips asked the prime minister: “Shall I look forward to this same statement at the next fine, and to stretch the metaphor of the speeding fines, after three fines on the road for speeding one has one’s driving licence removed from them.

“So at what point in his fine history will he see sense?”

Mr Johnson said he would not deal in hypotheticals.

Jacob Rees-Mogg attacked fellow Tory Mark Harper for his statement calling for the PM to go.

“Mark had been gearing up for that for some time … It was quite funny when he said how much it pained him when he was clearly enjoying the moment thoroughly,” he said.

The minister for Brexit opportunities also said Boris Johnson’s fine showed “what a law-abiding country we are”. “We have such regard for the rule of law in this country that even the head of government is accountable and has been fined,” he said.

Responding for calls for the Conservatives to vote to remove Boris Johnson after he was fined by police, Tory former minister Sir Edward Leigh said: “Yes, someone needs to have the courage to get rid of the leader – the leader who is sitting in the Kremlin and causing the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent people.”

Sir Edward said he would “not give the satisfaction” to Vladimir Putin of “removing a British prime minister who has given an apology” over his Covid lockdown rule breach.

In response, Mr Johnson reiterated that Britain is not seeking regime change in Russia.

He said: “It is very, very important in this Ukrainian crisis that we do not make it an objective to remove the Russian leader.

“This is about protecting the people of Ukraine, that is what we’re doing and Putin will try to frame it as a struggle between him and the West. We cannot accept that.

“This is about his brutal attack on the people of Ukraine.”

Steve Baker, a Conservative former minister who previously doubted whether Boris Johnson would survive the Partygate scandal, said the prime minister could not have made a more humble apology.

“But what I want to say to him is justice leading into mercy relies on a very old-fashioned concept and that is repentance.

“What assurance can he give us that nothing of this kind will ever happen again?”

Mr Johnson repeated his apology and highlighted efforts to change the “way we do things in No 10”, adding he accepts “full responsibility” for his actions.

Kate Ferguson, deputy political editor of The Sun, says the backing from Mr Baker suggests the prime minister “is safe”.

Boris Johnson will need to leave office before grieving families “move on from partygate”, the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group said.

Spokeswoman Safiah Ngah, who lost her father Zahari Ngah, 68, to coronavirus in February 202, said: “Today’s apology from the prime minister was the words of someone who is sorry they’ve been caught, not someone who regrets the harm they’ve done.

“There are already over 50 partygate fines issued aside from his own, and many more parties to be investigated, including in his own flat.

“His claim that he didn’t realise rules were being broken is just laughable, and shows he still takes us for idiots.”

She added: “Backbench Tory MPs might want us to move on from partygate, but first they’ll need to move Johnson on from his office.”

It has been suggested that Downing Street is giving “serious consideration” to cancelling the PM’s trip to India so that he can attend Thursday’s vote.

MPs are set to cast votes as to whether to refer Mr Johnson for a formal parliamentary investigation into whether or not he misled the Commons about his knowledge of Covid law-breaking parties.

Poltical editor for The Times Steven Swinford tweets: “I’m told No 10 is giving serious consideration to cancelling Boris Johnson’s trip to India so he can attend Thursday’s vote

“Not clear where they’ve landed - conversations said to be ongoing - but there are concerns the vote will completely overshadow trip.”

MPs will get the opportunity to debate, and vote on, whether Boris Johnson should be referred to the Commons privileges committee over potentially false statements he made to parliament about Partygate, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has announced.

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Conservative MP Julian Lewis - for New Forest East - asked: “Does my right honourable friend have the power to authorise Sue Gray to publish her report in full? And if so, will he use that power in order to put an end to this matter, so that we do not get diverted away as we are being from such crucial questions as supplying armaments to Ukrainian democrats.”

Mr Johnson replied: “I thank my right honourable friend very much, but I think it’s very important that the Met should conclude their investigation before Sue Gray’s final report.”

Prime minister Boris Johnson did not say whether he will authorise Sue Gray to publish her final report in full.