Two thirds of Brits believe Boris Johnson knowingly misled the House of Commons despite his pleas in a car-crash interrogation, new polling shows.
Figures released by YouGov this afternoon found that just 15% of voters do not believe he did so following an ill-tempered appearance yesterday.
While supporters of the shamed former Prime Minister try to present the Privileges Committee probe as a "stitch up", 66% of the public believe it is right that it is carried out.
Mr Johnson is fighting for his political future as committee members weigh up whether he is guilty of contempt of Parliament.
The grim-faced MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip faced bruising questioning from the cross-party panel. If it rules against him, he could be suspended - and may even have to fight a by-election.
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The shamed former PM attempted to convince MPs he was innocent (PRU/AFP via Getty Images)YouGov said Mr Johnson "did little to shift public opinion" yesterday when he was questioned about the scandal.
It found that 66% believe he misled Parliament, while just 15% say he did not.
The polling also found that a third of those questions said they had knowingly broken Covid rules in 2020, while 57% said they never did so.
The tetchy former PM was accused of employing a "deflection mechanism" by a Tory MP as he tried to convince a probe he hadn't deliberately misled Parliament.
He refused to name officials who he claims told him rules hadn't been broken in Downing Street before he told MPs guidance had been "followed completely".
Tory MP Alberto Costa told him: "Why did you tell the House of Commons that you'd received repeated assurances that no rules had been broken when you knew that wasn't the case because you knew what the rules were.
The ex-PM claimed it was 'necessary' he attended the gatherings (PA)"You were at gatherings that breached the rules and the breaches of the rules would have been obvious to you at the time.
"Some might say your reliance on the purported assurances you received are a deflection mechanism to prevent having to answer questions about your knowledge of the gatherings."
Mr Johnson dismissed this as a "ridiculous" assessment.
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The shamed ex-PM was shown footage of himself telling Parliament that all Covid guidance was followed - despite this later transpiring to be untrue.
In one clip from December 2021 he told Labour leader Keir Starmer at PMQs: "What I can tell the right honourable gentleman is that all guidance was followed completely in No 10."
In a rambling defence Mr Johnson claimed a boozy leaving do at No10 during Covid restrictions was "necessary" after being challenged by Tory Sir Bernard Jenkin in an icy exchange.
Two thirds of voters believe Mr Johnson knowingly misled Parliament (PA)Sir Bernard pointed out that "no work" was being done in photos from November 2020, which show the ex-Prime Minister raising a glass with colleagues.
In a bruising session an uncomfortable Mr Johnson was shown photos of himself just over a year earlier at a leaving do for two senior officials, which appeared to show people failing to social distance.
Sir Bernard said: "The photographs don't show any work being done, why didn't it occur to you that it may not have been reasonably necessary for work purposes?"
Sir Bernard then pointed out that holding leaving dos "wasn't acceptable" for everyone else.
Flustered Mr Johnson said: "What I was doing was thanking staff for their contribution, I believe that was my job."
He said the leaving drinks were "necessary" because two people - Lee Cain and Dominic Cummings - were leaving in "potentially acrimonious circumstances" and it was important for him to provide reassurance.
Mr Johnson is claimed to have told staff that it was "the least social distanced event in the country". When asked about this, the former PM did not deny the remark, but said: "I think it unlikely that I would have said those words."
He also said he had "no sense" that a birthday celebration - which included his then-fiancee Carrie and interior designer Lulu Lytle - was against the rules.
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