Boris Johnson has claimed a Downing Street gathering where he was pictured holding a glass in the air was “essential for work purposes”.<br /><br />The former prime minister added that others agreed it was “a work-related event”.<br /><br />“I believed that this event was not only reasonably necessary, but it was essential for work purposes,” Mr Johnson said.<br /><br />He appeared in front of the Privileges Committee on Wednesday 22 March as MPs began their probe into whether or not he intentionally misled parliament over Partygate.
