Northern Ireland Secretary says Boris Johnson is the "right person" to be Prime Minister
Brandon Lewis has been defending Boris Johnson's position
Last updated 27th May 2022
The Northern Ireland Secretary believes Boris Johnson can lead the Conservatives to victory in the next general election.
Brandon Lewis has been defending the Prime Minister amid growing calls for him to resign over a 'bring your own booze' event held at Downing Street during lockdown in May 2020.
Yesterday, Boris Johnson admitted to attending the event at Number 10 and apologised, but said he thought it was a work event.
This morning the Great Yarmouth MP has come to his defence, telling Sky News: "I personally think the Prime Minister is the right person to be Prime Minister.
“I think we will be able to go forward and win a general election.
“We have got work to do. We have got to deliver on exactly on what the Prime Minister set up, which is some of the biggest important reforms dealing with issues the country would have liked to have dealt with years ago, like health and social care, issues in Northern Ireland that haven’t been dealt with in decades.
“This is somebody who wants to deal with that and do it in a way that delivers for everybody in the UK, and that is why I think he will win the next election.”
He added that Boris Johnson was "very, very sincere" in his apology for what happened in May 2020.
“He made it very clear that, with hindsight, he regrets doing what he did in going out and not just straight away telling the staff to go back in but thanking the team for the work they were doing,” Mr Lewis told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“He does recognise the anger and upset and frustration that people feel at what they perceive happened at No 10. He recognises that and takes responsibility.
“Anybody who looks at what he said at the despatch box yesterday will clearly be able to see that was very, very sincere.”
There a growing calls from opposition and within the Conservative party for Boris Johnson to resign.
An inquiry is being held into various reports of gatherings in Downing Street during lockdown.
Mr Lewis has said the Prime Minister doesn't believe he broke Covid rules when he attended the drink party, adding people should wait for the report from senior civil servant Sue Gray before reaching a judgement.
“The Prime Minister has outlined that he doesn’t believe that he has done anything outside the rules. If you look at what the investigation finds, people will be able to take their own view of that at the time,” he told Sky News.
Mr Lewis played down reports that Chancellor Rishi Sunak had been lukewarm in his support for Mr Johnson.
“I have seen Rishi working with the Prime Minister. They work absolutely hand-in-hand. I know that Rishi has got support for the Prime Minister,” he said.
“What I have seen yesterday, and I have seen consistently through this, is the Cabinet have been completely joined-up, working together.”
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