Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has apologized and insisted he did not lie to parliament over rule-breaking COVID lockdown parties as he fought for his political career at a hearing with lawmakers.

Parliament's Committee of Privileges is investigating whether Johnson, who was ousted from Downing Street in September, intentionally or recklessly misled the House of Commons, the UK parliament's main assembly, in a series of statements about the parties.

If the committee finds Johnson intentionally misled parliament, then he could be suspended. Any suspension longer than 10 days could prompt a by-election in his constituency near London.

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Opening the crunch hearing, Johnson, Prime Minister between 2019 and 2022, swore an oath on the Bible to tell the "whole truth and nothing but the truth."

The former leader, who considered an audacious bid for a second stint as Prime Minister last year, has said he was not warned the events broke the rules and has accused the committee of bias.

"I'm here to say to you, hand on heart, that I did not lie to the House," Johnson said. "When those statements were made. They were made in good faith and on the basis of what I honestly knew and believed at the time."

The committee published 110 pages of evidence earlier on Wednesday, showing that some Downing Street officials said Johnson must have known that parties had taken place despite his denials.

"Misleading the house might sound like a technical issue, but it is a matter of great importance," Harriet Harman, the chair of the committee, said at the outset of the hearing. "Misleading intentionally, or recklessly, or refusing to answer, or failing to correct or frustrates the functioning of the house, is contempt."

Johnson added: "I apologize. I apologize for inadvertently misleading this House of Commons. But to say that I did it recklessly or deliberately is completely untrue, as the evidence shows."

The Partygate scandal contributed to the ultimate downfall of Johnson, after months of reports that he, alongside other senior government figures, had been present at alcohol-fueled gatherings in Downing Street during 2020 and 2021 when much of the rest of the country were forced to stay at home on government orders.

The outcry and repeated allegations of lying eventually prompted the resignations of most of his top team of government ministers, including the current UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Johnson's supporters insist he was betrayed by Conservative colleagues when he was forced out of office last year and are campaigning for his return ahead of a general election, likely next year.

But opinion polls suggest Johnson remains toxic for a large swathe of the electorate, and the hearing by the cross-party committee threatens to reopen old wounds just as his successor Rishi Sunak tries to heal Conservative fortunes.

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