Boris Johnson was fined along with 50 close friends for the holiday scandal during the pandemic

The scandal of the multiple illegal parties held on Downing Street during the confinements fell again on Tuesday on the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, as it became known that he and his relatives will be fined for these violations.

The controversial 57-year-old Conservative leader saw his post jeopardized for weeks in January and February by the one dubbed “partygate,” which led a large group of MPs from his Conservative Party to contemplate an internal motion of censure to expel the leader.

However, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine a month and a half ago the focus had shifted, easing political pressure on Johnson.

But on Tuesday morning the London police announced that they had sent more than 50 notifications of fines as part of their investigation into these violations.

And soon after it emerged that Johnson, who had defended before Parliament that no rules were violated, will be among those sanctioned, along with his wife Carrie and Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, until recently considered the favorite to succeed him in power but recently mired in his own scandal due to his advantageous status prosecutor for his billionaire Indian wife.

“The prime minister and the finance minister received notification today (Tuesday) that the metropolitan police intend to fine them,” said a Downing Street spokeswoman claiming that no further details were available.

The opposition leader, Labour Keir Starmer, immediately called for the resignation of number one and number two of the conservative executive.

” Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak broke the law and repeatedly lied to British citizens. Both of you must resign. Conservatives are totally unable to rule,” Starmer tweeted, considering that “the UK deserves better.”

Scotland Yard has been investigating allegations for months that Johnson and members of his team organized and attended a dozen parties during the 2020 and 2021 lockdowns against covid-19, when the executive prevented the British from seeing their loved ones, who some could not even fire when they died.

The United Kingdom, with 67 million inhabitants, is one of the countries in Europe most affected by the coronavirus, with more than 170,000 deaths from covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.

The worst political crisis

An incessant drip of leaks to the press from December to February revealed the long list of these events, with images in which Johnson himself appeared, provoking the worst political crisis the conservative leader has ever experienced since his glorious coming to power in 2019.

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

Also a birthday celebration for the prime minister, supposedly organized by his then-fiancée, Carrie, in the cabinet room on June 19, 2020.

It was reportedly attended by up to 30 people, including decorator Lulu Lytle, who carried out the costly renovation of the couple's official residence on Downing Street, the funding of which caused another of the numerous scandals that have dotted the prime minister.

Later, an internal report, by senior official Sue Gray, but limited in its conclusions by the opening of the police investigation, denounced a lack of control on Downing Street and a culture of excessive drinking.

Knowing that his position hung in the balance, Johnson apologized to Parliament and British public opinion in January, although not acknowledging responsibility other than that of not sending employees back to their jobs.

Having initially denied that there were parties in the Downing Street premises where he lives and works, he later acknowledged having participated on May 20, 2020, during the first confinement, in an event in the Downing Street Gardens.

But he claimed to believe that it was a “labor event”, which only caused mockery and more indignation.

(with information from AFP)

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