Tory MP laughed at on Question Time for defending Boris Johnson

A Tory MP moonlighted as a comedian last night and managed to get the whole Question Time studio audience laughing.

After audience member Caroline Quinn asked whether Boris Johnson should resign “in light of the fixed penalty notices issued this week" over Partygate, MP Maria Caulfield showed politicians can be very funny indeed with her defensive response.

"He genuinely did not believe that there was wrongdoing," she said as the audience burst out laughing.

This week, the police announced it was issuing 20 fines to people who attended events in Downing Street while coronavirus restrictions were in place.

After the events were first reported, Johnson insisted in parliament there had been no wrongdoing, and when it was revealed he was in attendance of one of the 12 events the police are investigating - a garden party - he insisted he didn't believe it was a party and said it was "a work event".

Caulfield emulated Johnson during her appearance on Question Time and powered through with more Partygate stock answers. "We will wait for the Sue Gray report, we don't know the identities of the people who've got fixed penalty notices, he isn't one of those people whose had a fixed penalty notices this week."

Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Presenter Victoria Derbyshire intervened, acknowledging the audience's response. "When people laugh when you say 'he didn't believe he was at a party' what does that make you think?" she said.

"I fully understand the anger and the frustration," Caulfield said.

"That was laugher, that was ridicule," Derbyshire interrupted. "They don't believe him."

Who can blame them?

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.