LONDON (AP) – An investigation report released on Wednesday blamed British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other senior leaders for allowing government parties that violated UK COVID-19 blocking rules, and if well Johnson said he took “full responsibility” for the breaches, insisting he would not resign.
The revelations that Johnson and his staff have repeatedly ignored the restrictions imposed on Britain in 2020 and 2021 have fueled outrage in the country and prompted opponents to call for Johnson to drop the scandal known as “partygate “.
Most lawmakers in Johnson’s ruling Conservative Party have backed him for the time being, and it’s unclear whether senior Sue Gray’s report will change that, despite detailed descriptions of alcohol-related crashes in the building. where the prime minister lives and works. .
Gray investigated 16 meetings attended by Johnson and his staff, while UK residents were banned from socializing, or even visiting sick or dying relatives, due to coronavirus restrictions.
Gray’s report concluded that “the top leadership team … must take responsibility” for a culture of breaking the rules. He said there had been “leadership and trial failures” in the prime minister’s office at No. 10 Downing St.
“Those in the junior positions attended meetings where their seniors were present, or in fact organized,” he said.
An independent police investigation resulted in fines for 83 people, including Johnson, making him the first British Prime Minister to break the law while in office.
Speaking to lawmakers after the report was released, Johnson said he took “full responsibility for everything that happened” and that he was sorry, but denied knowingly violating any rule. He said he was “humble” and had “taken a lesson”, but now was the time to “move on” and focus on the battered British economy and the war in Ukraine.
Critics, some in the Conservative Party, have said Johnson lied to Parliament about the events. Ministers who deliberately deceive Parliament are expected to resign.
Johnson denied lying. He insisted that when he told Parliament last year that the rules had not been broken and that there were no parties, “that was what I thought was true”.
Johnson attended several events mentioned in Gray’s report, including a birthday party in June 2020 for which he was fined £ 50 ($ 63). He said at a news conference, “I thought they were work events.”
The British media and opposition politicians have found it difficult to reconcile with the accounts of party staff members “bring your own drink” and the usual “wine time Fridays” at the Downing Street office in the middle of the pandemic.
Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labor Party, said Gray’s report was a “catalog of crime” and that the Johnson administration had “treated the sacrifices of the British people with utter contempt”.
Gray’s term did not allow him to impose punishment. Much of his 37-page report is devoted to a detailed account of events, including a May 2020 party at Downing Street Garden where “the Prime Minister brought cheese and wine from his apartment” and a party in next in which “one individual was ill” and “there was a small altercation between two other individuals.”
At another party the night before the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, Prince Philip, gardeners broke a swing that belonged to Johnson’s youngest son, Wilf, and went on a party until 4 p.m. in the morning.
The report includes emails and WhatsApp messages suggesting that staff members knew they were violating the rules. An invitation was changed from “Come and cheese” to “End of year meeting with wine and cheese”. On another occasion, a staff member warned that journalists would be in the building for a press conference and that people should avoid “walking around shaking bottles of wine.”
In a measured civil service language, Gray criticized the behavior of those involved. He said there were “multiple examples of disrespect and mistreatment of security and cleaning staff”, calling it “unacceptable”.
“Many will be dismayed for such behavior to take place at this scale in the heart of government,” Gray wrote. “The public has a right to expect the highest standards of behavior in these places and it’s clear that what happened was a long way from that.”
Johnson has clung to power despite the scandal, in part because the Russian invasion of Ukraine has diverted public and political attention. Some conservatives argue that it would be hasty to oust Johnson now, whatever his flaws.
Conservatives have also tried to dismiss the criticism by pointing out that Labor Starmer is also facing a police investigation into having a beer and a take-away curry with his colleagues in April 2021. He insists the lunch was part of a day work and does not break any rules, but has said he will resign if fined by police.
Now that Gray and the police have completed their investigations, Johnson’s fate is in the hands of the Conservative Party, which has a history of ousting leaders who become passive. Conservative lawmakers say they have received angry messages from voters and many feel uncomfortable defending non-compliance with the rules in series.
Johnson faces an investigation by a House of Commons rules committee over whether he lied in Parliament. And Gray’s findings could revive Conservative lawmakers’ calls for a vote of no confidence in the leader who won them a large parliamentary majority in 2019. According to party rules, that vote is triggered if 15% of party lawmakers – currently 54— they write letters asking for them. by a.
If Johnson lost that vote, he would be replaced as Conservative leader and prime minister. It is unclear how many letters have been sent so far, although one more was submitted on Wednesday. Conservative MP Julian Sturdy said: “I am now unable to give the Prime Minister the benefit of the doubt and I feel it is now in the public interest to give up.”
Johnson received a warm welcome from Conservative lawmakers at a private meeting in Parliament on Wednesday evening. Attendees described him as solemn and conciliatory.
“It’s full of spirit,” said lawmaker Jonathan Gullis.
But another Conservative, Tobias Ellwood, told the House of Commons that Johnson had lost his support.
“One question I humbly asked my colleagues was,‘ Are you willing to publicly defend this behavior on a daily basis? ’” He said.