Rishi Sunak missing from PMQs as Boris Johnson faces calls for his resignation

Rishi Sunak missing from PMQs as Boris Johnson faces calls for his resignation
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Samantha Haynes

By Samantha Haynes


Published: 12/01/2022

- 11:46

The Chancellor of the Exchequer will not appear in the Commons today as the Prime Minister will face allegations about a Downing Street party which breached Covid lockdown rules.

Rishi Sunak has tweeted to announce that he will be absent from Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday at noon.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer posted that will instead be in Ilfracombe, North Devon.


His location is about four-and-a-half hours away from the House of Commons.

It will not be the first time that Rishi Sunak has been absent, with the Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves commenting that Sunak is 'in hiding' as Labour set out proposals on Tuesday for a VAT cut to household energy bills.

It will be Boris Johnson's first public appearance since a leak on Monday of an email from his principal private secretary, Martin Reynolds, inviting Downing Street staff to the gathering in May 2020 to “make the most of the lovely weather”.

The disclosure triggered a new wave of public anger following the reports last year of parties in the run up to Christmas 2020, with Tory MPs openly warning Mr Johnson his position will be untenable if he has been shown to have lied.

Mr Johnson has refused to say if he was present at the May event, despite reports he and his fiancee (now wife), Carrie Symonds, were among around 30 people to attend at a time when such gatherings were banned.

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