UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Finance Minister Rishi Sunak have been told they will be fined by police over lockdown breaking parties held at UK government premises, a spokesperson said. from Downing Street to CNN on Tuesday (12).
London’s Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday it had issued more than 50 fines as part of its investigation into meetings held at government facilities in Downing Street and Whitehall while the rest of the country lived under strict pandemic lockdowns. Party revelations sparked national outrage.
The police fines are confirmation that Johnson and Sunak violated Covid-19 laws created by their own government – although the prime minister has previously denied that some parties were held and insisted that all guidelines were followed.
It was unclear which meetings Johnson and Sunak were facing fines; the government spokesman said he had no further details at this time. Carrie Johnson, the prime minister’s wife, will also receive a fine, her spokeswoman told CNN.
The so-called “Partygate” scandal, which erupted in late 2021, posed the most serious threat to Johnson’s presidency to date. Revelations that the prime minister has attended several parties have already sparked furious calls for him to step down even before the police fine was announced.
Reacting to Tuesday’s statement, the main opposition Labor Party leader Keir Starmer immediately demanded that Johnson and Sunak resign. “Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have broken the law and repeatedly lied to the British public. Both must resign. Conservatives are totally incapable of governing. Britain deserves better,” Starmer tweeted.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan also called for Johnson’s resignation, saying “a prime minister who breaks the laws his government makes and then lies about it is not fit for the job”.
“The families made huge sacrifices and obeyed the law. Many said goodbye to their loved ones on the phone as the prime minister celebrated,” Khan added in a statement on Facebook. The Metropolitan Police said the investigation into illegal gatherings in Downing Street continues.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
