Boris Johnson has not resigned yet. But the air for the British Prime Minister is getting thinner. Almost daily, the media publish reports of lockdown parties in Downing Street, expensive renovations of private apartments and high corona numbers. The list is long.
“Johnson admits attending garden party – and apologizes”. “Opposition accuses Johnson of lying”. “Tories lose in polls after ‘Partygate'”. “Downing Street celebrated before Philip’s funeral”. This is just a selection of the headlines published by ntv.de this week. Boris Johnson is likely to wake up every morning fearing new revelations about himself and his government will come to light. Calls for the British Prime Minister to resign are not only being heard loudly from within the opposition, but are also growing in his own party.
The fact that Johnson, who has been in office since July 2019, has been publicly scolded is not a new phenomenon. Initially it was the miserably long Brexit negotiations, but the coronavirus pandemic with high numbers of cases and deaths in the United Kingdom quickly overshadowed the debate about previous mistakes. But time and again the Tory politician managed to free himself from the criticism or to hide it behind new scandals (empty supermarket shelves and missing truck drivers, allegations of corruption because of the luxury renovation of his private apartment, etc.).
But the current recurring reports of escalating “work meetings” between Johnson and his staff threaten to overflow the prime minister’s camel’s back. According to British media, it happened between May and December 2020 alone a dozen parties, which are either directly in the 10 Downing Street complex despite corona restrictions were held or in other ministries and government agencies. Some alcohol-heavy gatherings are particularly in focus.
The parties that infuriate the Brits
- At the May 15, 2020 Boris Johnson and his current wife, Carrie, meet around 20 Prime Minister’s staff in the Downing Street garden over wine and cheese. At this time, strict corona rules apply in London. A maximum of two people from different households are allowed to meet outside. They must keep a distance of at least two meters from one another. A photo released in December 2021 shows that these regulations were not being followed at the seat of government. Johnson’s administration is trying to sell the meeting, which took place after a press conference, as a “work meeting” to which such rules would not have applied. The Downing Street garden was regularly used for meetings.
- At the May 20, 2020 another “meeting” takes place at Johnson’s official residence. According to British media reports, 30 to 40 people will take part in this. A lockdown also applies at this time. More than 100 guests are said to have received an invitation for the gathering. In it, government official Martin Reynolds wrote: “Hello everyone, after an incredibly busy time we thought it would be nice to take advantage of the glorious weather and enjoy a few drinks by far in the garden of #10 tonight. Please come from 6pm and bring your own alcohol !” A few days ago, Johnson admitted that he actually went to the garden party. After about 25 minutes he returned to his office.
- Former Johnson adviser Cleo Watson celebrates on November 27, 2020 her farewell. According to the Telegraph, up to 50 people gather in Downing Street. Johnson gives a speech. When the party became known, it was said from the seat of government that no corona rules had been broken.
- At the December 15, 2020 government staff pass the time with a Christmas quiz. Quizmaster is, of course, Boris Johnson. According to Downing Street, the event – unlike the events before it – will take place digitally. Johnson took part briefly to thank his employees for their hard work over the past year. According to media reports, many people gather in front of computers and drink alcohol in their offices during the quiz. There was also a strict lockdown back then. Celebrations and gatherings are prohibited. In a photo of the event, Johnson can be seen next to a colleague dressed for Christmas.
- At the December 18th 2020 will then be celebrated in person again, but probably without Johnson. Dozens of government officials converge on Downing Street for a party with drinks, appetizers and board games. When a clip related to the events appeared about a year later, there was great outrage. In it, Johnson’s spokeswoman at the time, Allegra Stratton, can be seen joking about the answer to a possible post-party question in a rehearsal for a press conference days after the event. She resigned after the video became known.
- And now that: Around 30 Johnson employees attended the funeral of Queen consort Prince Philip, of all places April 16, 2021 attended two ceremonial gatherings on Downing Street. It was about the farewell to two confidants of the head of government, reports the “Telegraph”, citing eyewitnesses. Johnson himself is therefore not present. Even then, strict distance rules were in force, members of different households are not allowed to meet in closed rooms. Only six people or two households are allowed to meet outside. A lot of alcohol was drunk and danced at the parties, the newspaper continues. From a nearby supermarket, wine supplies had been fetched in a briefcase. One participant used Johnson’s son’s swing in the garden and broke it in the process. The grieving widow, Queen Elizabeth II, is sitting all alone on a chapel bench the next day. Due to the current regulations, the funeral of your beloved husband takes place in the smallest circle.
Officer submits investigation report
What do all these failings mean for Johnson? The BBC speaks of a “culture of rule-breaking in Downing Street”. The prime minister has since apologized “heartily” for attending the May 20 garden party. An apology to Buckingham Palace was also issued later in the day. But whether Johnson will also draw personal consequences and resign is still open.
He wants to wait for the results of an official investigation into the events, he emphasizes. Government official Sue Gray is to get a general picture of the nature of the gatherings and determine whether “individual disciplinary action” should be taken, it said. According to the Telegraph, Gray had the cell phones of some government employees handed over to look at relevant WhatsApp messages. She should therefore submit her report at the end of next week at the earliest.
Until then, the pressure on Johnson is likely to increase further. Also because party friends turn away from him. The paradox about it: Johnson is under pressure in his own ranks because – respect – in the eyes of some conservatives, he has imposed too strict corona measures on the country, reports the dpa. In a vote on stricter measures (stricter mask requirement, mandatory vaccination for medical staff and 3G certificates for nightclubs and major events) in mid-December 2021, almost 100 Tory MPs voted against. The project only succeeded thanks to the votes from the opposition.
At that time Johnson had to react to the rapidly spreading omicron variant. In the United Kingdom, the number of cases exploded and the healthcare system came under increasing pressure. Conservative hardliners obviously took offense at him. They accused him of slowing down the recovery of the British economy through the restrictions. And they complained that stricter requirements were difficult to implement if not even the prime minister and his staff were obviously following the rules.
Not worthy of a head of government
In general, Great Britain can look back on a painful pandemic despite a successful vaccination campaign. According to official figures, more than 150,000 Britons have died in connection with Covid-19. On the one hand, Johnson publicly regrets the high number of deaths and expresses his condolences to the victims’ families. On the other hand, he showed reckless and risky behavior at the lockdown parties. That doesn’t go together and isn’t worthy of a head of government. Alone, a successor is not in sight. Whether the conservatives will drop him is (still) in the stars.
It is clear that the prime minister either doesn’t seem to have his shop under control or he and his staff believe they are unassailable. Apparently they were foolishly assuming that the celebrations would never offend the populace. You were wrong. Johnson knows how dangerous Sars-CoV-2 can be. At a time when there were no vaccines, the now 57-year-old became infected and even had to be treated in intensive care.
But even then, in spring 2020, the prime minister showed behavior that was not particularly exemplary. Despite struggling with symptoms such as a fever, he continued to work. Until it was no longer possible and, according to his own statement, he even briefly feared for his life. Now he has to worry about his job.