Boris Johnson has vowed to face MPs over his Partygate fine amid mounting anger over law-breaking in Downing Street.
The Prime Minister is expected to correct the record next week, telling colleagues he did not knowingly mislead Parliament when he said at the despatch box all rules were followed during lockdown.
In a bid to ease tensions within his own party, Mr Johnson has backed Rishi Sunak who also received a Partygate fine for attending the PM's lockdown birthday bash in No10 on June 19 2020.
The PM and the Chancellor have paid their £50 fines and apologised but have refused calls to resign.
When asked if Mr Sunak could stay in post for “as long as he wants it”, Mr Johnson said: “Yes.”
MPs set to vote on whether to hand matter over to the seven-MP strong Privileges Committee which has a Tory majority but is chaired by Chris Bryant, a Labour MP. The Privileges committee will then investigate whether Johnson misled the Commons 2/3
He also suggested Rishi Sunak's job was safe despite damaging revelations about the Chancellor's wife's tax affairs.
The PM and the Chancellor have apologised and paid the fines but they have both refused to resign.
At a press conference in Kent, when asked if Mr Sunak could be removed as Chancellor or if he had that job for as long as he wants, the PM said: "Yes."
Mr Johnson also confirmed he would "set the record straight" in the Commons next Tuesday on what he had previously told MPs about Partygate.
“You are going to have to wait until I come to Parliament when of course I will set the record straight in any way that I can," he told reporters in Kent.
Since the PM and the Chancellor were fined by the Met Police, Justice Minister Lord Wolfson of Tredegar, resigned and four Tory MPs have called on the PM to step down.
