Opposition lawmakers have accused Johnson of deliberately misleading Parliament.
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LONDON – Long-awaited investigation into numerous Covid-19 blockade breakout parties at Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office and residence, intensifying pressure on the Conservative Party leader.
Comprehensive report by senior official Sue Gray found that many of the meetings held in Downing Street and Whitehall during the Covid blockades over the past two years should not have been allowed.
He explains in embarrassing detail how various events unfolded, including an outing party on 18 June when a gathering of two or more people was banned in the interior of England. On this occasion, the event lasted several hours and there was excessive alcohol consumption by some. “One person was ill” and there was a “minor altercation” between two people, according to the report.
In a strong verdict, Gray said senior leadership “must be responsible for this culture.”
“At least some of the meetings in question represent a serious failure to observe not only the high standards expected of those working in the heart of government, but also the standards expected of the entire population. British at the time “.
Johnson is expected to make a statement to the House of Commons later that day.
Gray had launched an investigation following media reports of meetings and alleged parties in government buildings during the 20-month Covid blockades. A full version of the report had been delayed due to an independent police investigation. The Metropolitan Police investigation resulted in 126 fines on 83 people.
The pound fell to a session low against the US dollar shortly after the report was released. The UK currency fell 0.4% to $ 1.2489 during afternoon bids in London.
What does the report say?
Gray’s report reaffirmed the findings in its initial report in late January, which harshly criticized the government’s leadership.
“Whatever the initial intention, what took place in many of these meetings and how they were developed was not in line with Covid’s guidelines at the time,” the report said.
“Even taking into account the extraordinary pressures on officials and advisers, the factual findings of this report illustrate some attitudes and behaviors that are inconsistent with this orientation.”
Gray said in a full report on Wednesday that she was “glad that progress is being made in solving the problems.”
There are nine photographs of two separate events published in the report. One shows Johnson’s birthday party on June 19, 2020, for which the Prime Minister, his partner Carrie and Finance Minister Rishi Sunak were fined by police, and the other shows Johnson in a exit for communications director Lee Cain.
Gray said some staff members “had witnessed or been subjected to work-related behaviors that they had been concerned about but at times felt unable to approach them properly. They informed me of multiple examples of lack of respect and mistreatment of security and cleaning staff. That was unacceptable. “
Cleaners tested wine that had been spilled on a wall and in several photocopier paper boxes after a “Wine Time Friday” event on December 18, 2020. In an alcohol-based questionnaire held three days earlier , a Downing Street official sent a message advising staff to exit the rear exit to avoid being photographed by the press.
Call for resignation
Gray’s full report comes after further revelations in the last days of new alcohol-fueled social events held in Downing Street during the Covid confinements, with Johnson photographed raising a glass on a November 13, 2020 outing.
The footage, obtained by ITV News, sparked new claims by opposition lawmakers that Johnson had deliberately tricked Parliament when he previously told the House of Commons that no rule had been broken.
Johnson has repeatedly resisted calls for resignation from across the political spectrum, despite public outcry sustained by a long and growing list of alleged blockade breaches.
When asked on Wednesday if public opinion would likely reflect the end of the road for Johnson’s term in office, Ipsos CEO Ben Page said: “On the numbers I have at the moment, I still don’t know. “.
Speaking to CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” in Davos, Switzerland, Page said Johnson “is unpopular, but the fact that people think he may have lied somehow has a price. Is Boris Johnson lying? a new story “.
“His opponent Keir Starmer is doing a little better in the polls, the Labor Party has a small advantage, but overall none of the figures indicate that a similar event in Australia, where the Labor Party power, it will happen in Britain, “said Page.
“I could go out with her again,” he added.
Legislators who deliberately deceive Parliament are expected to offer their resignation to the Prime Minister, according to the Ministerial Code, an official set of principles on how politicians should behave. However, this guide is not law and it is ultimately up to the Prime Minister to decide how to interpret and enforce it.