After the fine for the pandemic holidays, Boris Johnson apologized but refused to resign

Trapped again by the scandal of illegal parties on Downing Street during the lockdowns, Boris Johnson on Tuesday asked for a “complete apology”, but refused to resign, after becoming the first incumbent head of government fined for breaking the law.

The controversial Conservative leader, 57, saw his post seriously jeopardized earlier this year by the one dubbed “partygate,” which led a group of deputies from his Conservative Party to contemplate a motion of censure. Until the Russian invasion of Ukraine changed the focus of attention and eased political pressure.

But on Tuesday the London police announced that they had notified more than 50 fines. And Johnson, who had defended before Parliament that no rules were violated, is among those sanctioned.

So are his wife Carrie and his finance minister, Rishi Sunak, who until recently considered a favorite to succeed him in power but recently mired in their own scandal due to the advantageous fiscal status of his billionaire Indian wife.

Opposition leader Labour Keir Starmer immediately called for the resignation of executive number one and number two: “Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak broke the law and repeatedly lied to British citizens,” he tweeted.

According to a quick YouGov poll of 2,464 British adults, 57% think they should both resign and 75% think the prime minister knowingly lied about the violations.

However, in a statement to British television from his country residence in Chequers, where he spends Holy Week, Johnson held on to the charge.

“I have paid the fine and I apologize fully,” he said, claiming to “understand the anger” of the British, deprived at that time of reuniting with their loved ones, and “accepting with all sincerity that people have the right to hope for something better.”

But when asked whether he was going to resign, he said: “I want to go ahead and fulfill the mandate of addressing the problems facing the country.”

Political crisis

Scotland Yard has been investigating allegations that Johnson and his team members organized and attended a dozen parties during the 2020 and 2021 lockdowns against covid-19, which has left more than 170,000 dead in a country of 67 million.

This is the first time the British police have sanctioned a sitting prime minister. But the anger of the conservative rebels seems to be calmed by the war in Ukraine.

Considering it “very serious” that Johnson “deceived” Parliament, Conservative MP Roger Gale ruled out “in the midst of the international crisis” giving Russian President Vladimir Putin “the peace of mind that we are going to remove the prime minister and weaken the coalition” against Russia. “Any reaction to this will have to wait,” he added.

Since December, an incessant drip of leaks to the press has been revealing a long list of parties, with images in which Johnson himself appeared, provoking the worst political crisis that the conservative leader has ever experienced since he came to power in 2019.

These range from Christmas celebrations to the farewell of an employee - with music and alcoholic beverages - on the eve of the funeral of Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, whose funeral was only 30 people due to restrictions.

Also a celebration of the Prime Minister's birthday organized by Carrie, in the Cabinet Hall on June 19, 2020, which would have been attended by up to 30 people. It was for this meeting that Johnson and his wife were fined.

However, the police investigation has not been completed and there could be further sanctions.

Having initially denied that there had been parties in the premises where he lives and works, the Prime Minister later acknowledged having participated on May 20, 2020, during the first confinement, in an event in the gardens of Downing Street. But he claimed to believe that it was a “work event”, provoking mockery and indignation.

Knowing that his position was hanging by a thread, Johnson apologized in January for the image that this scandal left in a population forced to make so many sacrifices, but he did not acknowledge any infringement. On Tuesday he again assured that it had not “occurred” to him that his birthday party “could be a violation of the rules.”

(By Anna Cuenca - AFP)

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