Boris Johnson broke lockdown laws by attending gatherings in Downing Street and believes the rules do not apply to him, John Major has said.
In a stinging attack on Johnson, the former Conservative prime minister said it looked like the “truth has been optional”.
Speaking at the Institute for Government (IfG) on Thursday morning, Major said it had “always been the case” that a prime minister would have to resign if found to have broken the law or misled parliament.
“At No.10, the prime minister and officials broke lockdown laws,” Major said.
“Brazen excuses were dreamed up. Day after day the public was asked to believe the unbelievable.
“Ministers were sent out to defend the indefensible - making themselves look gullible or foolish.”
Major added: “The prime minster and our present government not only challenge the law, but seem to believe they, and they alone, need not obey the rules, traditions and conventions of our public life.
“The repeated charge that there is one law for the government and one for everyone else is politically deadly. And it has struck home.”
It came as Johnson refused to say whether he will resign if he is fined for breaching lockdown restrictions.
The PM is expected to be among the more than 50 individuals in No.10 and Whitehall who will receive legal questionnaires from the police.
Scotland Yard said it will be dispatching the questionnaires by the end of the week.
Johnson has already resisted calls to resign, but these are expected to grow louder if he is issued with a fixed penalty notice.
Asked at a press conference with Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg to discuss Russian aggression against Ukraine, the PM said he would not outline how he would respond until the police investigation concludes.
“That process must be completed and I’m looking forward to it being completed and that’s the time to say more on that,” he told reporters in Brussels.
Pressed a second time, Johnson responded: “I understand but we’re going to wait for the process to be completed.”