A HAMPSHIRE MP said they "cannot judge" the situation until police complete their work after it was confirmed the Prime Minister will be investigated over claims he misled Parliament about parties in Downing Street during lockdown.

Maria Miller the MP for Basingstoke said it is too early to back Labour's motion to refer Mr Johnson to the Privileges Committee which passed without a vote after receiving no objections, with No 10 opting against tabling its own delay amendment.

The decision means MP's on the committee will investigate whether Mr Johnson is in contempt of Parliament for misleading the Commons with his repeated denials of lockdown-busting parties in No 10.

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Such an investigation will only begin after Scotland Yard has completed its own inquiry into alleged coronavirus law breaches at the heart of Government.

Speaking on the decision Ms Miller said: "The Prime Minister has rightly apologised to the British people for breaches in the Covid Regulations at Number 10 Downing Street - those Police investigations are ongoing.

“The debate and vote yesterday in the House of Commons have come too early, midway through this Metropolitan Police investigation and before the broader official Inquiry Report from Sue Gray.

“When the Police complete their investigations, and Sue Gray reports, the full facts will be available publicly. The motion from the leader of the Labour Party accepted the need to delay any investigation until the Police complete their work.

“We cannot judge the situation in full until Sue Gray published her report too, that is the point at which a Privileges Committee Inquiry should be considered."

Mr Johnson, who missed the motion debate and decision because he was on an official visit to India, has already been fined once by Metropolitan Police for attending his own birthday celebration in June 2020, with his officials braced for more fixed-penalty notices to land.

He is thought to have been at six of the 12 possible rule-breaking events being considered by Operation Hillman officers.

Conservative MP's used the afternoon debate on Thursday to discuss the PM’s truthfulness to express their disgruntlement at his handling of the allegations, with more coming forward with calls for him to resign.

The motion laid before them said that Mr Johnson’s comments “including but not limited to” four separate remarks in the Commons “appear to amount to misleading the House”.

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The Prime Minister had, speaking from the despatch box, previously said that all Covid rules were followed in Downing Street.

Meanwhile Kit Malthouse, Andover MP and policing minister showed some praise for Mr Johnson but refused to comment on any police investigations.

He added: "There is an ongoing police investigation into this matter and so it would be inappropriate for me, as policing minister, to comment. I will say however that I see for myself every week the sheer grit and determination that the Prime Minister brings to the job, and his dedication to confronting the many serious challenges facing our country."

Hampshire MP Ranil Jayawardena has also been contacted for comment.

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