BOURNEMOUTH MP Tobias Ellwood has called for Boris Johnson to “show some contrition” over reports of an alleged No 10 garden drinks party in May 2020 during the first national Covid lockdown.

The Commons Defence Committee chairman told Sky News this morning: “I strongly urge the Prime Minister to act now, to apologise for No 10’s poor judgment, to show some contrition and to be committed to appropriately respond to Sue Gray’s findings when they come out.

“We can’t allow things to drift, that is not an option.”

Asked whether he would consider it the “end of the matter” if Mr Johnson “comes clean” over the party claims, the former minister added: “It would probably be for the Cabinet then to judge, and then also what he says and how he says it.

“But we need to get ahead of the story. This is distracting us, it is taking airtime away.”

Speaking to the Bournemouth Daily Echo on Tuesday, Mr Ellwood said the government did not practice “the exemplary behaviour we would expect” and described public anger as “understandable”.

Boris Johnson will today face MPs amid furious demands to come clean over his attendance at a reported “bring your own booze” party in the No 10 garden in breach of Covid lockdown rules.

The Prime Minister will make his first public appearance since the leak on Monday of an email from his principal private secretary Martin Reynolds inviting Downing Street staff to the gathering.