Boris Johnson visits Essex ahead of crucial week for his leadership
The PM was pictured driving a forklift as he paid a visit to Tilbury docks
Boris Johnson has started a crucial week for his leadership of the country behind the wheel of a forklift truck on Tilbury Docks.
The Prime Minister has been in Essex on a visit to the Thames 'Freeport' as he steps up efforts to save his job, amid accusations of lockdown breaking parties at Number 10 Downing Street.
It's understood the PM has now recieved a report into alleged breaches of lockdown at the heart of his government.
He insisted “I stick absolutely to what I’ve said in the past” when questioned about his reported denials of any wrongdoing to Tory MPs.
Parliamentary sources said they were expecting the Prime Minister to make a statement to the House of Commons some time after 3.30pm on Monday.
Asked about warnings that the inquiry will be a “whitewash” because of the changes, Mr Johnson said: “You are going to have to wait and see both what Sue says and, of course, what the Met says.”
The Prime Minister has publicly said he is “deeply sorry for misjudgements” surrounding events in No 10, but insisted no one warned him a garden party in the first lockdown would be against the rules.
In private, however, he is said to have told Conservative MPs who may oust him as Prime Minister over the saga that he has done nothing wrong.
“You’re going to have to wait and see the outcome of the investigations but, of course, I stick absolutely to what I’ve said in the past”.
Boris Johnson was also questioned on one of the emerging issues of the new year; the cost of living crisis.
Over the weekend the government insisted it would go ahead with a planned rise in National Insurance, despite many people feeling the pinch from rising energy costs and inflation.
He told journalists that Chancellor Rishi Sunak is looking at ways to deal with rising power and gas bills.
"We all understand the pressures that the cost-of-living crunch is putting on people and it is being driven by the inflation you are seeing around the world, particularly in energy costs.
"So, we're going to be bringing forward ... I know the Chancellor is looking at a package of things to abate energy costs.
"That is on top of all that we are doing to try and support people through this post-Covid recovery phase. What we are really seeing is the stresses and strains of the global economy fuelling inflation in the post-Covid recovery phase."