A LOCAL MP has condemned Prime Minister Boris Johnson for raising an allegation against Sir Keir Starmer in Parliament yesterday that was untrue.

Mr Johnson lied to the House of Commons when, during a fiery debate following the publication of an update to the Sue Gray report, he accused Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, of “failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile” while Director of Public Prosecutions.

Sir Keir was head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) when the decision not to prosecute Savile was made on the grounds of ‘insufficient evidence’ in 2009, however it was local police and a reviewing lawyer for the CPS who made the decision.

A later investigation found Sir Keir was not personally involved in the decision.

This morning, Sir Keir said the Prime Minister’s words were “a slur, untrue, and desperate”, and said he was “really struck by how many Conservative MPs were disgusted at him for that untruth”, adding he had “degraded” the office of Prime Minister.

This morning, Julian Smith, who is the Conservative MP for Skipton and Ripon, joined in the criticism of the Prime Minister for his conduct.

Mr Smith said: “The smear made against Keir Starmer relating to Jimmy Saville yesterday is wrong and cannot be defended.

“It should be withdrawn. False and baseless personal slurs are dangerous, corrode trust and can't just be accepted as part of the cut and thrust of parliamentary debate.”

In yesterday’s Sue Gray report update, it was revealed she was looking into 16 gatherings held during the pandemic, with 12 being investigated by police.

She said there was a “serious failure” to abide by Covid regulations, “failures of leadership”, an “inappropriate” drinking culture inside 10 Downing Street, and that some of the gatherings she is investigating “should not have taken place”.

She also said reform of work structures in No. 10 was needed.

After apologising in the Commons yesterday, Mr Johnson rebuffed numerous calls for his resignation.

This morning, Sir Keir added: “The Prime Minister broke the rules, the Prime Minister lied about having broken the rules.

“The Prime Minister had to start an investigation by Sue Gray and the Prime Minister’s brought a criminal investigation upon himself.

“It’s no good him trying to blame politicians in general. There’s one person at the centre of this who has caused all of those problems and is subject to a criminal investigation because of his own behaviour.

“That’s why I genuinely think that the time has come for him to go.”