Published
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was hit hard at the weekly poll in Parliament. The political scientist and historian Anthony Glees on the appearance.
According to media reports, only a few MPs from his party consider Johnson’s apology for a lockdown party in his office to be sufficient.
AFP
“We now know that the Prime Minister spent 25 minutes at what was clearly a party. That means that he has deceived the parliament, “said the Tory parliamentarian Roger Gale on Wednesday the” BBC “.
REUTERS
Boris Johnson has apologized after a garden party at his official residence in the pandemic.
The British Prime Minister refuses to resign.
With the apology Boris bought some time – but whether that will be enough?
The British political scientist and historian Anthony Glees assesses Boris’ appearance in Parliament.
The opposition loudly demanded Boris Johnson’s resignation in Parliament in London on Wednesday. The first calls for resigning from office also came from within our own ranks.
This was preceded by reports of a garden party at Johnson’s official residence on May 20, 2020 during the first lockdown. The broadcaster ITV quoted an invitation from Johnson’s office manager to about 100 employees: “Bring your own alcohol.”
Johnson admitted to the survey for the first time that he had attended the event. “When I went to this garden shortly after 6 p.m. on May 20, 2020 to thank groups of employees before going back to my office 25 minutes later to continue working, I strongly believed that this was a working meeting” said Johnson.
“Boris looks completely exhausted to me”
“First of all, a visibly shaken and deathly pale Boris Johnson tried to convey in Parliament today that what we all consider a party was something he ‘implicitly’ believed was a ‘working event'” says Glees.
“Boris still refuses to say whether he took part in the garden party on May 20, 2020 or not,” Glees continued. “All he said was that one had to wait for the investigative report from senior officer Sue Gray – as if it needed a senior officer to tell him if he was at his own party!”
The British wanted a trustworthy prime minister: “I don’t think that his lies about small things that one can accept increases willingness to accept lies about big things, and there are few bigger things than Covid,” said Glees. “If you can’t trust him, he’s done for.”
Then there are the increasingly critical Conservative MPs. “They now realize that Boris brought them what they wanted: Brexit and the turning away from Nigel Farage. Boris’ benefit is now over and he has become a burden. That’s the really big thing. “
Johnson will hardly run in the next parliamentary elections, sums up Glees. “I can imagine that he will give up much sooner.” For him, Boris actually already “looks completely exhausted”.
** Professor Anthony Glees, 73, is a British historian and political scientist. Most recently, he was Head of the Center for Security and Intelligence Studies at Buckingham University.
In retrospect, however, he should have acted differently, admitted Johnson during the questioning. The opposition responded with malicious laughter – as it often did in the 30-minute survey on the subject (you can read the ticker of the weekly question and answer session here).
Mockery quickly accumulated on social media that Johnson couldn’t tell a party apart from a work meeting even when he was there himself. The airline Ryanair put the words “I don’t know that I’m at a party” into the premier’s mouth and tweeted a drawing of Johnson in a party hat between dancing guests.
The satire account of the Downing Street cat Larry shared on Twitter an old photo of half-naked, partying English football stars with the cynical comment “England squad enjoying a work meeting”.
Johnson’s resignation now seems to be off the table for the time being; an election is scheduled for 2024.
That leaves the conservative party. To vote Johnson out, 15 percent of the 360 Conservative MPs have to express their distrust in letters. There are 54 parliamentarians. In the meantime, it cannot be ruled out that the necessary threshold will be reached.
As a member, you become part of the 20-minute community and benefit from great benefits and exclusive competitions every day!