Page:Fifth Report - Matter referred on 21 April 2022 (conduct of Rt Hon Boris Johnson).pdf/51

 167. Mr Johnson was asked to name the officials who gave him assurances at the meeting or meetings referred to by Ms Dines and Mr Griffith. The following exchange occurred: "Boris Johnson: I cannot name these officials—

Alberto Costa: Name me one.

Boris Johnson: I don’t know if I can. I think that—

Alberto Costa: Why not?

Boris Johnson: I think that most of them have indicated they don’t want to be named, and—

Chair: Are you not naming them because you can’t remember their names or because you don’t want to breach their anonymity? [ … ]

Boris Johnson: There is at least one adviser that I can think of who has asked not to be named. She would have been in the morning meeting, and I don’t want to—

Alberto Costa: Could you follow that up in writing through your lawyers to the inquiry, confirming the name of the individual that you recall gave you the assurance at the meetings referred to by these two MPs?

Boris Johnson: Yes, but if I may say so, Mr Costa, I don’t quite follow the direction of your questions. It is clear from what I have said that I was assured repeatedly by different people and on different occasions that the Rules had been followed.

Alberto Costa: And we are trying to ascertain who these individuals were, so it would be very helpful if you could follow up with the individual that you have just referred to.

Boris Johnson: Okay."

168. Mr Johnson gave the above undertaking, to supply further information about an adviser who gave an assurance but did not wish to be named, at the oral evidence session on 22 March. On 27 March Mr Johnson’s lawyers wrote to us as follows: "As is clear from the transcript, at Mr Costa’s invitation, Mr Johnson thought of an official who was in the morning meetings referred to by Andrew Griffith MP and Sarah Dines MP in their evidence to the Committee. However, he did not say that he knew precisely who was in each meeting and who specifically gave him the assurances remembered by the MPs. On reflection, Mr Johnson is still not sure of these matters and does not wish to speculate."