Jacob Rees Mogg on Boris Johnson's party apology | Times Radio

Jacob Rees-Mogg has told Times Radio Boris Johnson "wasn't aware" of a Downing Street party email, and warns fellow cabinet colleagues they have a "duty" to support the PM.

Speaking to John Pienaar on Drive, the Leader of the House of Commons said: "We know that the Prime Minister didn't see the email that went out, that he wasn't aware of that. He saw people in the Downing Street garden, which is a place of work, and it's important to remember that, that Downing Street is a residence and a place of work where a lot of people had to work throughout the pandemic. The rules were very clear on this that if you had to go into work, you were expected to continue to do so. And that was a requirement in Downing Street. But you asked me the direct question, do I believe the Prime Minister? Yes, of course. I believe the Prime Minister."

On those Tory MPs calling for Boris Johnson's resignation, including Sir Roger Gale and William Wragg:

"The figures [Conservative politicians] you mentioned at the beginning are people who are always unhappy. They are people who have never really supported the prime minister. The ones you mentioned have always been quite strongly opposed to him, and therefore you would expect them to be relatively grumpy. And so that's that's not surprising. I think you could have got them to say broadly what they said any day of the week"

And on speculation that Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is arranging a leadership bid:

"I think it's very striking that the Prime Minister when he was Foreign Secretary, did not manoeuvre against the Prime Minister, as then was, against Mrs. May, Lady May. He did once he ceased to be foreign secretary. I think that people within government have an absolute duty to support the prime minister. That is what they have signed up for. And I'm confident that both the foreign secretary and the Chancellor are doing their best to support the Prime Minister."

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