Despite Boris Johnson’s apoligies for the party (he calls it work event) at 10 Downing street held on 20th May 2020 during the compulsory lockdown to avoid Covid-19 contagions, Keir Starmer (MP and the current leader of the Labour Party) asked once and another to Johnson “doing the decent thing” and resign. Both PM’s apologies and resignation claims took the Lion’s part at the questions for the PM session held today at the House of Commons.
Other MPs asked Johnson as well to resign including Ian Blakcford (MP, Scottish National Party), Stephen Farry (MP, North Down, Alliance), Steven Bonnar (MP, Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party) ,Karl Turner (MP, Kingston upon Hull East, Labour Party), Chris Bryant (MP Rhondda, Labour Party) and Rt Hon Ed Davey (MP Kingston and Surbiton, Liberal Democrat Party).
Even some outstanding Conservatives are claiming for Johnson’s resignation. Some polls show a drop of a 3% from 17th December 2021 till today in voters intention for Tories in next UK National Parliament elections.
Anyway, the Downing Street party on 20th May is not the only possible breach of the lock down and of rules or guidelines to avoid COVID-19 contagions by Johnson’s Government. At least 10 gatherings, in Downing Street or Government Departments have been aired so far by the Brittish press.
“I believe implicitly it was a work event that fell inside the guidelines”, says Johnson
“I want to apologize. I know that millions of people accross this country have made extraordinary sacrifices over the last months I know the anguish theve’ve been through, unable to mourn their relatives, unable to live their lifes as they want, unable to do the things they love.
“And I know the rage they feel with me over the government I lead when they think in Dowing Street itself the rules are not properly followed by the people that make the rules.
And though I cannot anticipate the conclusions of the current enquiry I have learnt enoug to know that thing s simply did not get right and I must take responsibility.
Number 10 is a big department with the gardens as an extension of the office, which has been in consequence that the fresh air stopping the virus and when I went into the back garden just after six on 20th May 2020 to thank groups 25 minutes before going back into my office to continue working I belive implicitly it was a work event, but Mr Speaker, with hindsight I shouldn have sent everyone inside, I should find some other way to thak them, and I should recognise even if it could be said technically to fall inside the guidelines, there would be millions and millions of people, who simply would not see it that way, people who suffered terribly people who were forbidden to meet with their loved ones at all, inside or outside, and to them to my heart soul and to my heartfelt, ..apologies and all I ask is to complete a survey related and an inquiry and survey the other all and survey to the all facts can be establised and at that date came back to the House and make an estatement,” here they are the apologies offered by UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson this morning.
The only decent thing to do for the Prime Minister is to resign, said Keir Starmer once and again
“Prime Minister’s trending Downing Street parties are a clear breach of the rules. We’ve got the Prime Minister putting forward unserious and ridiculous denials which he knows are untrue. A clear breach to the Ministerial code.
“That code says that Ministers who knowingly misslead Parliament would be expected to offer their resignation. The party is over, Prime Minister. The only question is, would be Brittish public kick him out, would be the Party kick him out or would he do the decent thing and resign”…”When the former Health Secretary broke the rules, he resigned. And the Prime Minister said he was right to do so. When the Prime Minister spokesperson laughted about the rules being broken, she resigned. And the Prime Minister accepted that resignation. Why did the Prime Minister still think that the rules don’t apply to him?,” estated Sir Keir Starmer MP and current Leader of the Labour Party.
Liberal Democrats’ Davey asks the Metropolitan Police to open an investigation
Further more, the conservative Liberal Democrat’s representetive Ed Davey tweeted this evening that he has asked the Metropolitan Police to investigate Jonson’s behavior, as he admitted today at the House of Commons that he met a group of persons in the garden of Downing Street on 20th May 2020 during the lockdown (find at the end of this post the link to Ed Dawny’s tweet).
Conservative MPs, divided on Johnson’s resignation issue
According to the information published by the BBC this afternoon, there are some outstanding members of the Conservative Party, who think that Boris Johnson should resign by this issue. The conservatives calling for Johnson’s resignation include: Senior backbencher and select committee chairman William Wragg; Douglas Ross, Sir Roger Gale and Rachel Maclean.
If 54 of MP from the Conservative Party send letters to the 1922 committee ( the influential backbench group which runs Tory leadership contests) Boris Johnson could face an actual problem specially if a motion of confidence is run in the PM at the House of Commons.
The latest YouGov/Sky News poll published on 10th January 2022 placed Rishi Sunak (33% of the Conservatives) and Liz Truss (25% of Tories) as the front runners to lead the Conservative party in case Boris Johnson stepped down.
Leaving aside the Downing Street parties’ scandal, The UK Government meassures to fight against the pandemic, the management of the Afgan crisis after the Talibans’ victory, the transport crisis caused by the lack of drivers “thanks to” the Brexit have triggered many critics and discontent against Boris Johnson and not only among the population. The “bussy parties” issue could well become the last drop in a glass already fed up to the top.
In fact the data published today by the Politico website show that a 38% of Brittish people would vote Labour in next elections to the House of Commons against a 34% voting Conservatives.
On 17th November 2021 Conservatives registered a 37% vote intetion while the vote intention for the Labour Party was at 36%. After the scandal of the parties at Downing Street bursted out the Tories have been loosing voters while the Labour Party has been earning them continously till today. It is just a 2% increase for wigs, but there it is.
Despite the loss in vote intention, the Tory MPs voices claiming for Johnson’s resignation and following the results of the latest YouGov/Sky News poll published on 10th January 2022, just a third (34%) of the Conservative members think that Boris Johnson should stand down as the leader of the party. With about a 60% of Tories thinking that the Prime Minister is doing well (more or less the same as Theresa May in Julty 2018).
YouGov poll also shows that a 79% of Conservatives remain confident that their Party will win next elections with Boris Johnon at the lead.
Image over the headline.- UK PM, Boris Johnson, visibly worried at the PM questions session at The House of Commons today. Caption of the video of the session provided to Eastwind by the same House of Commons for publishing.
Related external links:
Watch the questions to the PM session at the House of Commons
