Boris Johnson apologized to MPs after he became the first British leader to be fined for breaking the law.
London, United Kingdom:
Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologized to MPs on Tuesday after he became the first British leader to be fined for breaking the law, but faced calls from the opposition to stop for the sake of integrity in politics.
He addressed parliament for the first time since the April 12 fine, reiterating that he did not think he had done anything wrong when he attended an office meeting for his birthday in June 2020, when Britain was under pandemic lockdown.
“That was my mistake and I apologize unconditionally,” he said.
The British public “had a right to expect better from their prime minister,” Johnson added, urging him to continue with the task, which includes defending Ukraine against the “barbarian” invasion of Russia.
The amalgamation of issues led to allegations that Johnson wanted to bury the controversy over “party gate” fines — which have also embroiled his Treasury Secretary and his wife.
Johnson could face even more fines for several Downing Street parties held despite strict coronavirus lockdowns imposed by his own government over the past two years.
MPs will hold a special debate Thursday on whether he misled the House of Commons when he denied ever breaking the rules in December. He will be making an official visit to India by then.
Knowingly misleading parliament is a violation of ministers’ code of conduct, which says they must resign as a result – and opposition lawmakers are adamant that he should leave.
But when asked directly whether he deliberately misled parliament, Johnson emphatically replied, “No.”
Opposition Labor leader Keir Starmer said there was cross-party support for Britain’s support for Ukraine, and that any Conservative successor would continue Johnson’s war policy.
Starmer told of the experience of a member of the public who, due to Covid rules in force at the time, was denied the chance to hold the hand of his dying wife in the hospital.
Johnson was “a man without shame,” supported by “nodding dogs” in his cabinet, Starmer said, urging Conservative MPs to remove their leader from office.
They must “restore decency, fairness and integrity in our politics and stop the denigration of this country,” the Labor leader said.
‘Liar’
A national poll suggested that about two-thirds of the public spoke negatively of Johnson, compared to just 16 percent positively, with the word “liar” being the most commonly shared answer.
“In general, ‘party gate’ dominates Boris’ views on Ukraine,” said James Johnson, a conservative pollster who led the sample.
“Fury hasn’t gone away. A lot of negative comments are from people who liked him before, but have now changed their mind.”
Voters will have the chance to make a ruling on 5 May, when the UK holds national elections for local and city councils.
A beating to the conservatives could sharpen debate among his own MPs, some of whom have said now is not the time to change leaders given the war in Ukraine.
Simon Wolfson, a justice minister, has already resigned from government, citing “the magnitude, context and nature” of the rule violations.
Johnson will try to bolster his position with backbenchers when he addresses a Conservative parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday night.
But a senior Tory backbencher, Mark Harper, replied to Johnson in the House of Commons that he was “no longer…worthy” to be prime minister after his apology.
Attention distracted
London’s Metropolitan Police are investigating dozens of alleged lockdown breaches by Johnson and his staff at the Downing Street complex where he lives and works.
Last week, officers had handed out more than 50 fines so far.
The scandal, the latest in a flurry of controversy that has hit Johnson since last year, left his position hanging by a thread and MPs from his Conservative party in a rebellious mood.
But he increased his chances of survival with what is seen as a strong response to Ukraine, which diverted attention from the furore when he was most vulnerable in February.
The cost of living in Britain is also credited with distracting people from the scandal, while Johnson has made several major policy announcements targeting his pro-Brexit political base.
They include controversial plans to send migrants and asylum seekers thousands of miles across the Channel to Rwanda.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.)
