Lord Geidt, Boris Johnson’s adviser on ministerial interests, said it is “reasonable” to suggest the Prime Minister being fined over partygate could be a breach of the ministerial code.
He told the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee: “If I am to take the view of say the ordinary man or woman in the language as it were on the face of the code then I think it’s reasonable that some, and indeed many people have written to me making this point, it’s reasonable to say that perhaps a fixed-penalty notice and the Prime Minister paying for it may have constituted not meeting the overarching duty of the ministerial code of complying with the law.”
Prime Minister's standards adviser, Lord Geidt, who is reported to have been told by the Prime Minister that Mr Johnson did not disclose messages exchanged with a Tory donor about his flat refurbishment because they were on an old phone
Dominic Lipinski
The peer said he now believes he has the power to initiate investigations into the Prime Minister.
“I’m glad to get the new power and I’m not going to be restrained from using it where necessary but my powers were less clear in the previous period,” he said.