Boris Johnson denies being ‘habitual liar’ and claims he was ‘taken aback’ by Partygate fine – UK politics live

Latest updates: prime minister asks voters to judge him on ‘what we’re doing [and] we’re getting on and delivering’

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The Conservative MP Huw Merriman confirmed he would not be submitting a no-confidence letter against Boris Johnson and appealed for colleagues to focus on delivering policies rather than regime change.

The transport select committee chairman, who in February suggested Johnson needed to improve or leave Downing Street, told Sky News:

Wrong has occurred, he’s apologised, put his hands up, I judge people for what they do to turn things around and I feel he needs to be given that time to do so.

I have definitely not put a letter in and I will not be putting a letter in because if I do that I’m then responsible for the very policy recommendations I’ve been making through my committee not being delivered.

My point, perhaps my appeal to colleagues is that our constituents need us right now and they need the government to deliver and parliament to deliver.

We’re not going to be able to do that if we are going through a protracted leadership contest, it just changes all the focus, all the direction, all of the chances we have of making better changes in policy that will help people through difficult times. You can’t have both.

You’ve got to actually work out whether that new prime minister is actually going to be a positive asset to the country, compared to what you’ve got at the moment.

As to what he’s actually committed, the crimes that he’s actually committed, and work out whether we should have a change or not.

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