The poll also found that just 28% of Tory voters say that they believed Johnson told the truth about the scandal.

The overwhelming majority of the voting public believe Boris Johnson lied about Partygate, as the former Prime Minister tries to convince MPs and others that he did not deliberately mislead the House when he claimed that all Covid rules were followed in Downing Street.

Johnson endured a disastrous appearance before the Privileges Committee this week, where his defence for breaking lockdown rules, namely that boozy leaving drinks were an essential pandemic activity, fell apart.

In the wake of that appearance, an exclusive new poll for Byline supplement found that even Conservative voters no longer have any faith in the former Prime Minister.

The poll found that only 1 in 10 voters believe he told the truth, with seven-in-ten instead believing he lied.

The poll also found that just 28% of Tory voters say that they believed Johnson told the truth about the scandal.

On a broader point of trust, the poll found that seven-in-ten (69%) said they generally do not trust Johnson to tell the truth, compared to just 18% who say they do.

It comes as even Tory MPs are openly saying that Johnson’s career is now finished following his appearance before the Privileges Committee.

Reacting to Johnson’s appearance, Tory MP Caroline Nokes told ITV yesterday that his  hopes of a return to Downing Street are in ruins.

She said: “I think that Boris Johnson is finished anyway.

“I think there was a very clear message from his own ministers back in the summer that they didn’t want him to carry on.

“He didn’t choose to stand against Rishi Sunak back in the autumn when we had the second leadership challenge.

“As far as I’m concerned, Boris Johnson is not coming back as prime minister.”

One Tory MP told Playbook after the hearing: “330 of us were only reminded why we never want him back” and another said that “Boris has torched his future.”

Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward

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