World Watch

LONDON, March 23: Boris Johnson has once again apologised over the Partygate scandal, this time for “inadvertently misleading” the British Parliament over the COVID law-breaking parties at Downing Street during his time as prime minister. Johnson was grilled for hours on Wednesday by the House of Commons Privileges Committee, which is investigating whether he knowingly misled the Parliament over the Partygate scandal of gathering that breached the lockdown rules. “I apologise for inadvertently misleading this House, but to say that I did it recklessly or deliberately is completely untrue, as the evidence shows,” he told the committee. During a heated session, the 58-year-old senior Conservative Party MP insisted the events that came under the purview of the scandal were “essential” during the lockdown period as Downing Street doubles up as a workplace and residence. “I believe it was absolutely essential for work purposes,” he said when questioned about a particular event in November 2020. (AP)