The 50-page dossier of evidence Boris Johnson will use in his defence against charges he misled parliament over Partygate has not yet been handed over to the Privileges Committee, i understands.
The ex-prime minister’s legal team was expected to have passed the documents to the committee on Monday to bolster his appearance before the seven-strong committee of MPs on Wednesday. Publication was expected Monday afternoon.
But it is understood that the dossier may not be published until Tuesday or even Wednesday morning – hours before he gives evidence – because the Privileges Committee had not received it by Monday lunchtime.
A source close to Mr Johnson said at lunchtime it would be handed over very shortly, and that they expected it to be published on Monday but that the committee controls the timing.
Mystery over the process may spark concerns that Mr Johnson’s team are trying to portray the committee as dragging their feet to delay publication.
i understands that once the dossier is passed to the committee, the MPs and their team of clerks and lawyers need to analyse it before it is published, a process which could take several hours.
Names of witnesses who may not want to be identified would need to be redacted before it is uploaded online.
