Lord Geidt says there is a 'legitimate question' over whether Boris Johnson broke ministerial rules.
The Metropolitan Police carried out an investigation into lockdown breaking parties in Downing Street and Whitehall after allegations surfaced towards the end of 2021.
Mr Johnson - along with his wife Carrie and Chancellor Rishi Sunak - was given a fixed penalty notice by the Met for attending a birthday party thrown in his honour in June 2020. But a Downing Street source would not deny reports - published in The Times - that Lord Geidt threatened to quit on Tuesday unless Boris Johnson publicly explained his conduct.
This is the latest development raising questions about Boris Johnson's conduct, at a time when almost 30 of his own MPs have publicly called on him to go., Lord Geidt said questions around Mr Johnson's behaviour had led to an "impression... the prime minister may be unwilling to have his own conduct judged against" the ministerial code.
And even if the PM thought there was no breach, he should "should respond accordingly, setting out his case in public."