Dominic Raab responds to question on Partygate with ‘I don’t know what I don’t know’

Dominic Raab, the justice secretary infamous for his insistence that “the sea was closed” while on holiday and thinking that misogyny can be carried out by a woman against a man, has returned with another incredible gaffe for the books.

Mr Raab, who once said he “hadn’t quite understood” the importance of the Dover-Calais border while Brexit secretary, was questioned by Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, following the publication of Sue Gray’s ‘update’ on Downing Street parties a day before.

“I can tell you categorically, throughout all my time covering for the PM when he was sick [with Covid], not only did I not see any partying or any inappropriate behaviour or anything that broke any rules that applied at the time.

“Frankly, I was very struck by the dedication, the commitment of those civil servants at the folcum at the response to the pandemic,” he said.

Ed Balls, the former Labour politician who presented Tuesday’s programme alongside regular Susanna Reid, remarked: “That rather begs a question, because I totally accept what you just said. When you were in charge, there weren’t parties and a culture of drinking.

“We now know from the Sue Gray report, which I’m sure you’re not resigning from, that there was a culture of drinking and 12 parties being reported to the police. What changed?

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“The only thing that’s changed is that rather than you being in charge, Boris Johnson was in charge. Is that why, when you were there, there weren’t parties, and when the prime minister was there, there were parties?”

Mr Raab replied by describing Mr Balls’ question as “guileful”, before adding: “The inquiry covered the period in question when the prime minister was well and at the realm. Of course, I don’t know what I don’t know.

“Since the prime minister being back at the realm, I also didn’t see any of the partying that is being referred to.”

Yes, he most definitely meant ‘at the healm’ rather than ‘at the realm’, even though Mr Johnson’s dishevelled appearance often makes him look like a mythical creature.

It isn’t the only blunder made by Mr Raab on the media round on Tuesday, as he also claimed Covid-positive Liz Truss wearing a mask in the Commons “wouldn’t have made a difference”, seeming to forget that that’s actually what the government advised in crowded spaces for a long while.

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