British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologized ‘unreservedly’ to Parliament on Tuesday after being fined for breaching anti-COVID restrictions, failing to convince the opposition who once again called for his resignation .
Mr Johnson claimed it “did not occur to him, then or subsequently”, that his attendance at a brief gathering on his birthday in June 2020 in Downing Street “could amount to a violation rules” then in force. “It was my mistake and I apologize unreservedly.”
Boris Johnson is Britain’s first incumbent head of government to be sanctioned for breaking the law and faces further fines as part of the investigation into ‘partygate’, the name of the party scandal in power circles during the containments put in place against the pandemic.
The Tory leader was addressing MPs for the first time since being fined £50 (about C$82) a week ago for attending the surprise birthday party on his 56th birthday on 19 June 2020. An event of “less than 10 minutes”, according to him, which also earned his wife Carrie and his Minister of Finance Rishi Sunak to be sanctioned.
“I respect the conclusions of the police investigation, which is still ongoing,” added the Prime Minister.
He did, however, try to play down the significance of the scandal that infuriates the British on Tuesday by skipping after a few minutes about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
A second wind
“I know many people are angry and disappointed and I feel an even greater obligation to respect British priorities and respond to the barbaric onslaught of the [président russe Vladimir] Putin against Ukraine. »
A time on an ejection seat, “BoJo” found a second wind by highlighting its role in the front line of Western sanctions against Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. Many MPs who had asked for his departure now consider it inappropriate to chase him from Downing Street in this context.
Labor opposition leader Keir Starmer, however, said on Tuesday that the Conservative leader was “dishonest and unable to change”. Mr Johnson is “a man without shame”, he claimed, urging the Tories to get rid of their leader to restore “decency, honesty and integrity” to British politics.
The head of government also came under harsh criticism from within his own camp, with Conservative MP Mark Harper saying he was no longer “worthy” of being prime minister.
The soap opera seems far from over. London police, who have already handed out 50 fines, are continuing their investigations and British MPs will debate on Thursday whether Mr Johnson knowingly misled Parliament – synonymous with resignation according to the ministerial code of conduct – by repeating that all the rules had been respected.
” Liar “
The Prime Minister will also have to face, on a date still unknown, the conclusions of senior civil servant Sue Gray, who has already squashed in a pre-report “errors of leadership and judgment”. He must also face the verdict of the polls in local elections on May 5.
According to the press, Mr. Johnson faces new fines, for at least five other festive events.
Downing Street insisted on denying it after new details emerged in the Sunday Timeswho described him serving drinks and making a speech for the departure of his communications chief on November 13, 2020.
According to a study published Monday, 72% of those polled have a negative assessment of the Prime Minister, the term recurring most often being that of “liar”.
“The fury has not receded,” tweeted pollster James Johnson, who conducted the study. “A lot of the negative comments are from people who previously liked it, but have changed their minds.”