Is that for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (57)? His future as head of government is at stake after accusations of partying with dozens of people at his Downing Street headquarters during the lockdown.
So far he has denied wrongdoing. Because of the burden of proof – there are photos – the “Sun” now accuses him of lying. She does this title line “It’s my party and I’ll lie low if I want to” (German: “It’s my party and I lie when I want”) based on a song by Lesley Gore. The “Daily Mail” asked whether the “party over” was now for Johnson.
Clear call for evidence
At the same time, more and more details are coming to light that put an additional burden on Johnson and his employees. According to the Independent, workers on Downing Street were instructed last month to delete potentially incriminating messages from their devices, as insiders told the paper.
Successors are already being discussed
A possible successor to Johnson has been discussed for days. Two cabinet members in particular are up for debate: On the one hand there is the Indian Finance Minister Rishi Sunak (41), who is allegedly at odds with Johnson. Sunak, who only took office shortly before the pandemic, is being praised for his crisis management. Disadvantage: The wealthy ex-investment banker is not considered a man of the people.
The favorite is Foreign Minister Liz Truss (46), currently the biggest darling of the Tory base. Truss, only promoted by the Ministry of Commerce in September, knows how to put himself in the limelight. In her first six weeks in office, more photos of her were posted on the government’s Flickr page than any other cabinet member combined.
A possible successor to Johnson has been discussed for days. Two cabinet members in particular are up for debate: On the one hand there is the Indian Finance Minister Rishi Sunak (41), who is allegedly at odds with Johnson. Sunak, who only took office shortly before the pandemic, is being praised for his crisis management. Disadvantage: The wealthy ex-investment banker is not considered a man of the people.
The favorite is Foreign Minister Liz Truss (46), currently the biggest darling of the Tory base. Truss, only promoted by the Ministry of Commerce in September, knows how to put himself in the limelight. In her first six weeks in office, more photos of her were posted on the government’s Flickr page than any other cabinet member combined.
The BBC reported, citing unnamed sources, that high-ranking employees should have actively prevented further parties from taking place during the corona contact restrictions last year.
Some other social gatherings under Johnson’s roof, which are believed to have violated lockdown measures, have already been revealed by the media in recent weeks. An official investigation into the events is still ongoing.
Clean up the table
The Labor Party opponents also accuse him of lying. “This fits into the pattern that they hide the truth and then start to lie when things come to light,” said Labor politician Emily Thornberry, 61, of the BBC.
Vice-party leader Angela Rayner (41) called on Johnson to face parliament and “clean the table”. Relatives of corona victims were outraged. Even in their own ranks, among the Tories, support is waning.
Always lied
The statements about the Downing Street parties wouldn’t be Johnson’s first lies. Again and again he made a name for himself with false statements. Some examples:
Article invented: Thanks to connections, Johnson joined the traditional London newspaper “The Times” in 1987. Soon he will be released. He invented a quote in his first cover story about a lost palace on the Thames. He also invents stories for the conservative “The Daily Telegraph”. For example about the fact that the EU wants to standardize condom sizes and introduce a “banana police” to control the shape of the fruit.
Broken promise: As editor-in-chief of the conservative “Spectator” he promised the publisher Conrad Black (77) in 2001 that he would not pursue his political career any further. Nevertheless, he becomes a member of parliament. «Inexpressibly two-faced,» says the owner.
Denied affairs: When Johnson was supposed to get a position in the Ministry of Culture in 2004, an extramarital affair with the Spectator columnist Petronella Wyatt (53) thwarted his plans. He denies the affair as “nonsense”, but the woman’s mother contradicts and confirms two abortions. Even later, as London Mayor, the married Johnson denied an affair with Jennifer Arcuri (36).
Forget about coke consumption: When he was elected Mayor of London in 2007, he was confronted with earlier statements in which he confessed to using cocaine during his university days. Shortly before the election, he denies everything. Even as mayor, he adjusts the numbers to suit his taste. For example, he claims that during his tenure, the number of police officers increased and juvenile delinquency decreased. It was just the other way around.
Faked numbers: In the run-up to the Brexit vote, he claims in 2016 that the UK is transferring £ 350 million a week to the EU. The statistics authority corrects and speaks of misleading, even the Brexit proponents distance themselves from the statement. The claim almost brings Johnson to court.
Financing disputed: When his new wife Carrie (33) renovates the apartment at 10 Downing Street for 135,000 francs and has the walls repainted, he has the work financed by a party donor. When this comes to light in 2020, he is playing the clueless.
“I would have fired him”
Shortly before the implementation of Brexit, Blick had an interview with the Brexit opponent and Johnson’s greatest opponent at the time, the political activist Gina Miller (56). When asked what she thought of Johnson as Prime Minister in late 2019, Miller replied: “If he worked for my company, I would have fired him in the first week. You don’t need a person in such a responsible position who lacks honesty and integrity and is not willing to work hard. “
Johnson is running out of air after recent allegations and apparent lies. On Wednesday he had to answer questions in parliament. The prime minister admitted that he attended the meeting on May 20, 2020.
He came into the garden of his official residence to thank employees and believed it was a work meeting. After about 25 minutes he went back to his office. In retrospect, Johnson admitted he should have acted differently.
Labor leader Keir Starmer (59) accused Johnson of offending the population with this statement. He called on the prime minister to resign.