Kwasi Kwarteng won't say if Boris Johnson should resign if he is found to have lied

Watch as Political Editor Robert Peston repeatedly asks Kwasi Kwarteng if Boris Johnson should resign

Boris Johnson is "bound by the ministerial code" Cabinet member Kwasi Kwarteng has said, after repeatedly refusing to say whether the prime minister should resign if it is shown he has lied over allegations of Covid-lockdown breaking parties in Downing Street.

Mr Johnson has been under increasing pressure amid allegations of parties hosted at Downing Street while the country was in lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus, including one at which he was presented with a birthday cake and another when 100 staff members were invited to drinks in the garden.

With top civil servant Sue Gray's report into the allegations expected to be published in the coming days and the Metropolitan Police looking into the claims, opponents - and even MPs within Tory ranks - have called for Mr Johnson to step down.

Asked if the prime minister should resign if he is found to have lied, Mr Kwarteng said to ITV's Peston show: "I think the prime minister's very clear that he's got a job to do and he is bound also by the ministerial code.

"And I'm 100% behind the prime minister because as we all know he got Brexit done, we've got the fastest vaccine rollout of anywhere pretty much in the world, we've got the fastest growing economy in the G7... that's what he and the government are 100% focused on."

During the exchange, Peston suggested he is saying that the prime minister would have to resign if he is found to have lied.

Pressed on the issue, Mr Kwarteng responded: "Look, all I'm saying is that he's bound, as you would expect, by the ministerial code, and he's very focused, as is the rest of the Cabinet, on actual delivery."

The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Tuesday they are investigating the allegations, which could mean that Mr Johnson faces a police interview under caution or, worse, a criminal record.

Mr Johnson told the Commons at PMQs on Wednesday that he would "of course" resign as prime minister if he is found to have misled Parliament over the scandal.

Asked if the prime minister should resign if he is summoned to a police interview, Mr Kwarteng said: "No I wouldn't go that far, I mean I remember the cash for honours probe very well, I think it lasted about 16 months actually as I remember."

He was referring to an investigation into Tony Blair's government in which no one was charged.

With energy bills expected to rise by hundreds of pounds in April, Mr Kwarteng said "there will be announcements in due course" amid pressure on the government to ease the cost of living crisis for consumers.

On Wednesday, ITV News revealed how thousands of worried customers have "flooded" energy officials with concerns about the increasing costs.

The industry’s regulator, Ofgem, is now consulting on the future of the energy price cap.

Asked if an energy bailout proposed by big providers to keep prices at the current level is a good idea, Mr Kwarteng said: "So this is a contract for a difference model if you like, and they've discussed it with me, but I've certainly not seen anything that suggests that that's where we're going to land.

"And what I would say about this is we've got an energy price cap which has helped millions of consumers in a really difficult time.

"I mean, there was pressure as you know to lift the price cap in the last period and I resisted that because I wanted to protect consumers, particularly vulnerable consumers.

"I'm in discussion regularly with the Treasury and also No10 and there'll be announcements I think in due course."