Damning new evidence has been published as part of the inquiry that will determine whether or not former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson misled Parliament over his conduct during the so-called Partygate scandal.

The new information suggests that people advising Johnson were aware that the gatherings taking place in Downing Street during Covid lockdowns were breaching the UK government’s own guidelines, and points to a culture of drinking inside Downing Street at the time.

Last year, the Metropolitan Police issued Johnson with a fine for attending one of the gatherings, making him the first sitting UK prime minister to be found guilty of breaking the law.

The new details came in a report from the House of Commons Committee of Privileges, which published the evidence on which Johnson will be questioned when he appears before the panel later this year.

The report says there was evidence indicating that Johnson may have misled Parliament about what he knew of the events in Downing Street. “The evidence strongly suggests that breaches of guidance would have been obvious to Mr Johnson at the time he was at the gatherings,” it adds.