What time is PMQs? Boris faces second grilling from Sir Keir Starmer on Partygate

Conservatives 'making a big mistake' over Boris says Marr

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MPs anxious to quiz the Prime Minister on his Government’s recent controversies will have their second chance this week. Despite a lengthy recess, the line of questioning lawmakers take will likely closely resemble those from March. Partygate and other controversial actions pursued by the Johnson Government will likely feature heavily as the PM returns to the House of Commons.

What time is PMQs?

MPs and Lords returned to Parliament after the bank holiday weekend, the last day of their spring recess.

Recess saw Parliamentary business, including PMQs, suspended for two weeks from March 31.

The House of Commons will sit from 11.30am on Wednesday, with COP26 President Alok Sharma launching proceedings.

MPs will have the opportunity to quiz him ahead of PMQs, which starts half an hour later at 12pm.

The question and answer session starts with a statement from the Prime Minister, which kicks off a trade-off between himself and opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Their back and forth and following questions from other MPs should last approximately half an hour until 12.30pm.

While PMQs is usually the Prime Minister’s only appearance in the House of Commons for the week, April 20 is his second post-Easter 2022.

Mr Johnson attended a session in the lower chamber on Tuesday April 19 to make a scheduled apology to UK lawmakers and the public they represent.

The Prime Minister was one of several people fined by the Metropolitan Police after their investigations concluded that gatherings held at Number 10 had broken Covid rules.

Those found to have broken the rules received a fixed penalty notice, with Mr Johnson’s wife Carrie Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak also among those fined.

The Prime Minister made a brief statement to MPs in which he officially addressed the penalty.

He told them that he “paid the fine and offered the British people an apology immediately”, as he extended his “wholehearted apology” to the House of Commons.

Mr Johnson added that it “did not occur” to him that his actions “could amount to a breach of the rules”.

The Prime Minister concluded that the events had instilled in him an “even greater sense of obligation” to “deliver on the priorities of the British people”.

Despite the renewed calls, he did not tender his resignation and faced an immediate response from the opposition.

Sir Keir delivered a scathing rebuttal in which he branded the PM “dishonest” and a “joke”.

After being reprimanded for his former statement – as Parliamentary rules prohibit MPs from calling one another out for lying – he went on to add that the public “does not believe a word” of his.

Mark Harper, the former Tory chief whip, released a similar statement, in which he said Mr Johnson was no longer “worthy” to be Prime Minister.

Today’s events likely mean that people can anticipate similarly explosive PMQs at 12pm.

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