Fine for “Partygate” affair
Rule-breaker Johnson wants to remain in office
04/12/2022, 10:13 p.m
Boris Johnson broke the law. The British prime minister has to pay a fine for the corona parties at the government seat, but he does not want to resign. It is unclear whether his party is still supporting Johnson. In a few weeks there will be an important mood test.
Boris Johnson was celebrated as a radiant statesman for his lightning visit to Kyiv, but just a few days later the British Prime Minister was overtaken with a bang by his legacy. The London police have fined Johnson for the “Partygate” affair, a government spokeswoman said. It’s about a celebration that took place in Johnson’s office on June 19, 2020 – for his birthday.
This confirms what many Britons have known for months: your prime minister violated the corona rules that he issued himself.
This trip to a restaurant in the summer of 2020 was a violation of their own Corona rules.
(Photo: picture alliance / empics)
All of a sudden, Johnson’s position begins to falter again. “The Met fired two rockets at Downing Street,” the Sky News broadcaster explained martially about the decision of the London Metropolitan Police (Met). But the prime minister does not want to resign: “I want to continue and fulfill the mandate that I have,” said Johnson, commenting on his fine. “I want to tackle the country’s problems.” He paid the fine and apologize for his misconduct.
A good 50 penalties
The amount of the fine is not known. In addition to Johnson and his wife Carrie Johnson, Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, who resides at 11 Downing Street, will also have to pay a fine.
The investigation is about twelve events from 2020 and 2021. At that time, there were strict contact restrictions due to the pandemic. More than 100 employees and government employees, as well as Johnson and his wife, had to answer questions from the police. According to the police, a good 50 penalties have been issued so far. In most cases, the fines are said to be £50, which is around €60.
“Unprecedented”
The opposition renewed their demands for his resignation. “Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have broken the law and repeatedly lied to the British people. They must both resign,” Labor leader Keir Starmer tweeted. His party colleague David Lammy was even more outspoken: “Crime and lies at the heart of the government,” wrote the top politician. The heads of government of Scotland and Wales also called for Johnson’s departure.
“It is unprecedented for several senior government officials to be fined at the same time,” Jill Rutter, domestic policy expert at the Institute for Government think tank, told the BBC. Author and political scientist Mark Garnett said Johnson’s critics now have all the evidence against him in their hands. But: “Johnson has always made it clear that he will not go quietly and he will use the war in Ukraine as an additional reason for staying in office.”
“Did everyone take it for a fool”
The outrage among those who have lost family members and friends because of Corona is already immense. “They broke the law. But worse, they fooled us all,” said Lobby Akinnola, a representative of the organization Covid Bereaved Families. It is “incredibly painful” to know that the powerful have been partying while they themselves have not been able to say goodbye to their loved ones.
The Tories face a tricky decision just weeks before local elections in England, which are seen as a crucial test of sentiment. As new “Partygate” scandals kept coming to light in the winter, Johnson’s departure seemed only a matter of time. An initial report by senior official Sue Gray attested to Downing Street’s leadership failure and serious rule violations. Tory MPs withdrew their approval from the prime minister almost every day – 54 votes are enough for an internal party vote of no confidence.
But the situation changed completely with the Ukraine war. Even the harshest inner-party critics recently backed Johnson. So the question now is: how do the Tories feel about their prime minister? Will they oust the 57-year-old for committing an offense while in office? Or are they still holding on to the ex-London mayor and ex-foreign secretary because he is the only one who, as a politician close to the people, can get the voters involved?
Heavy losses in local elections?
First statements by proven critics within the party indicate that Johnson may stay for the time being. A change in leadership during the Ukraine war would be fatal, they say. Johnson has lied and cheated before, his time at Downing Street has been riddled with scandals since taking office in the summer of 2019 – and yet the party has never distanced itself.
But the local elections are likely to be the sticking point. “The only certainty is that the Conservative Party is likely to suffer heavy losses in the local elections next month,” said expert Garnett. “The leadership issue will continue to damage the party until Mr Johnson is either persuaded to resign or is forced into a vote of no confidence.”
Other analysts are more skeptical. “Boris Johnson has had more lives of a cat than any politician I know,” said University of Sheffield political scientist Matthew Flinders. It would not be a surprise if Johnson survived this case as well.