For the avoidance of doubt, I was not invited to, aware of, and nor did I attend any social events at that time, in line with the vast majority of constituents and people across the country. It is, in my view, totally unacceptable that events took place which breached the rules we were all living under at the time. As such, the Prime Minister was right to apologise, and I was in Parliament to hear exactly what he had to say on the matter.
The next steps will be informed by a number of considerations. New information is continually emerging, mainly through the media, and an investigation is underway to establish the facts behind the public stories. These are crucial because they go to the heart of the level of responsibility and culpability of the significant number of people involved. Parliament is tasked with holding the Government to account and this can only be achieved once the full facts have been established. The report, therefore, is essential to allow accountability and in forming a view on the best way forward.
I will continue to follow developments very closely. We all need to be able to have confidence in the Prime Minister and government and it is important that the full facts are established as soon as possible.
