DOMINIC Raab has backed Boris Johnson's claim he did not breach the ministerial code as he did not "intentionally" break the law.
The Deputy PM was speaking this morning, following an intervention last night by the UK Government's ethics chief Christopher Geidt, who asked for an explanation as to why Mr Johnson believed he had not gone against his own ministerial standards.
It has been reported that Lord Geidt is debating whether to quit his role as an independent adviser on ministerial standards, and has not yet decided after receiving a response from Mr Johnson.
In his letter, the Prime Minister told Lord Geidt: "I have taken full responsibility for everything that took place on my watch, and reiterate my apology to the House and to the whole country in respect of the gathering on 19 June in the Cabinet Room for which I received a fixed penalty notice."
He added: "I have also been clear that there was no intent to break the regulations; at the time I did not consider that the circumstances in which I received a fixed penalty notice were contrary to the regulations. I have accepted the outcome and paid it in compliance with legal requirements. Paying a fixed penalty notice is not a criminal conviction."
He said he believed he had not broken the ministerial code as he had "duly considered past precedents of Ministers who have unwittingly breached regulations where there was no intent to break the law". He said he had also "corrected the record" in parliament when he told MPs there had been no parties , and "I have followed the principles of leadership and accountability in doing so."
Defending his boss this morning, the Justice Secretary said Mr Johnson's attendance at the birthday gethering for which he was fined was "inadvertent".
Mr Raab told Sky News: “Lord Geidt raised that issue and the PM has responded to the letter, and he’s been clear that in relation to the single fixed penalty notice he hadn’t intentionally broken the law, and his attendance at that gathering, as has been well rehearsed, was inadvertent.
“So Lord Geidt is really important, he is a senior figure.
"We’ve actually been working for months to reinforce his role, that’s been done by agreement between No 10 and Lord Geidt, but actually I think those questions have been answered, both in general but also now specifically in the letter the PM has sent and, as I said, we’re getting on with the job.”
He told Times Radio: “In relation to the single fixed penalty notice, it had been an unintentional breach of the law, and inadvertent in the sense that he turned up to the gathering without having realised it would be in breach of the relevant regulations.”
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