Cabinet secretary denies telling Boris Johnson that Covid rules were followed at all times in No 10 – UK politics live

Key events

The nationalist SDLP party, which has two MPs in parliament, will vote in favour of the Northern Ireland protocol deal. Yesterday Colum Eastwood, its leader, said it might abstain because of concerns about the Stormont brake. Today he said:

We continue to have serious concerns about the operation of the Stormont brake and we will be vigilant about its implementation, including the clear limits on the operation of a veto over amended internal market law.

But overall the Windsor framework provides a clear path back to devolved government in Northern Ireland. With cuts to our schools and youth services, hospital waiting lists out of control, GP surgeries closing across the North and public sector workers desperately in need of a pay rise, there are more important priorities that we must address.

Rishi Sunak leaving No 10 ahead of PMQs. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

Rishi Sunak to take PMQs

Rishi Sunak will be taking PMQs shortly.

Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question.

PMQs Photograph: HoC

ERG says it is advising its members to vote against Sunak's NI protocol deal

The European Research Group, the caucus which represents hardline Tory Brexiters, has said it is advising its members to vote against Rishi Sunak’s Northern Ireland protocol deal today, Newsnight’s Nicholas Watt reports.

The ERG does not publish a list of its members, and does not say how many there are, but several dozen Tories are closely associated with it.

Jack Doyle, who was Boris Johnson’s communications chief when the partygate story broke, denied ever telling the then-prime minister that Covid-19 guidance was followed at all times in No 10, the evidence bundle released today reveals.

As PA Media reports, in his evidence to the committee, Doyle was asked whether he assured the then-prime minister that Covid-19 rules were followed at all times. He replied:

As per my evidence to the Sue Gray report, in relation to the events I attended I said I believed no rules were broken.

Asked whether he told Johnson “Covid guidance” was followed at all times, Doyle said: “No.”

Asked whether he told Johnson that “no parties were held in No 10” while restrictions were in force, Doyle said:

I advised the prime minister that I did not consider the event of December 18, 2020 to be a party.

Doyle highlighted the distinction between the rules that were in force and the guidelines but No 10 “is an old building with limited space” and although efforts were made to follow the guidelines on social distancing “it would not be possible for me to say” they were complied with at all times.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons speaker, has written to all MPs telling them not to say anything that could be seen as interference with the work of the privileges committee, Dan Bloom from Politico reports. This follows attacks on the committee from some of Boris Johnson’s supporters. Hoyle says interference in this manner could be seen as a contempt of parliament.

The evidence bundle released by the privileges committee today also shows that one No 10 official warned Martin Reynolds that his “BYOB” party plan (see 11.13am) was a “bad idea”. The official said:

I saw the invite and I expressed my concern to Martin that I thought this was a bad idea. I declined the invitation.

I heard that there were so many people who were unhappy about the party that they were not going to go.

As Boris Johnson’s principal private secretary, Martin Reynolds organised the drinks event for staff in the Downing Street garden on 20 May 2020. This was the first of the Partygate events investigated by the police and Sue Gray, and it earned Reynlds the nickname “party Marty”.

Reynolds sent an email to staff telling them it was a “BYOB” (bring your own booze” event. In evidence published today, he says he regrets this. He says:

With the benefit of hindsight, the language used was totally inappropriate and gave a misleading impression of the nature of the event.

It was an event held because staff needed a morale boost after an extremely difficult period when all sorts of tensions had begun to surface and I hoped that being thanked by the PM and talking to each other might strengthen their sense of being part of one team.

The event was not a party in any normal sense of the word.

Back to the Northern Ireland protocol deal vote, and David Davis, the former Brexit secretary, has mocked Liz Truss’s decision to vote against the Windsor framework.

According to Tom Larkin at Sky, who is keeping a tally, at least 10 Tories will vote against the government today.

Drinking wine in garden during work meeting within Covid rules, Johnson told Sue Gray

Boris Johnson told the Sue Gray inquiry that he did not see it as being against Covid rules to work in the No 10 garden while having a bottle of wine, the evidence released by the privileges committee today reveals. Johnson said:

I would encourage people into the garden for the pandemic.

I felt it would be wrong to stop people going into the garden.

It is democratic and conducive to staff wellbeing – where to go to draw the line?

When you are in the garden and in a meeting it was OK to have a bottle of wine accompanied by alcohol in moderation.

Certainly not against the rules as I understand them.

Boris Johnson and staff pictured with wine and cheese in the Downing Street garden in May 2020. Photograph: The Guardian