Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak receive lockdown fines
This afternoon, Downing Street officials confirmed Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak will be fined by police for breaking coronavirus rules, while Mr Johnson’s wife , Carrie Johnson, will also receive a fixed penalty notice. The three fines were issued by the Metropolitan Police following an investigation into illegal parties in Downing Street during the country’s Covid lockdowns. Spokespersons for the Prime Minister and Mr Sunak stressed that they had not received information about the event to which the fines were linked.
The Met is investigating an alleged breach of the Covid rule at 12 rallies in Downing Street and Whitehall, and so far more than 50 fines have been issued.
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer this afternoon renewed calls for Mr Sunak and Mr Johnson to step down, and said the fines showed the Tories were ‘totally unfit to govern’.
Meanwhile, Lobby Akinnola, a spokesman for the bereaved Covid families, said it was “incredibly painful” to know that the most senior members of government were attending lockdown parties.
He added: “They broke the law, but even worse, they took all of us for mugs.”
Read more: Brexit: the golden age! Britain’s influence in Europe grew
Boris Johnson has been fined for parties in Downing Street (Image: Getty)
Sir Keir Starmer has called on Mr Johnson to step down (Image: Getty)
Mr Johnson has claimed nine times that he did not break lockdown rules, after reports of the Downing Street holiday lockdown broke at the end of November last year.
On December 1, 2021, after the Mirror reported that a Christmas party in Downing Street had taken place a year earlier while coronavirus rules were in place, Mr Johnson told Sir Keir in the House of Commons: “All guidelines have been completely followed in issue 10.
“May I recommend that he do the same with his own Christmas party, which is announced for December 15?”
The Labor leader’s Christmas party was scheduled for December 2021, although it was duly canceled due to a rise in Omicron cases.
A number of allegations have emerged from Downing Street parties during lockdown (Image: Getty)
At the time, Mr Johnson added that Sir Keir was ‘irrelevantly drooling about wallpaper and parties, playing politics’.
Then, on December 7, when asked if a Christmas party had taken place, Mr Johnson reiterated to reporters: ‘What I can tell you is that all guidelines have been followed, continue to be observed and we continue the work, as we have done. throughout, to deal with people’s priorities.
He added: “Guidelines were followed at all times. I made sure that the guidelines were followed at all times.
Later that day, as ITV released footage of Number 10 staff joking about a Christmas party, Mr Johnson’s Downing Street spokesman told the broadcaster: ‘There was no Christmas party. Covid rules were followed at all times.
Don’t miss:
Putin’s ex-wife claims the president ‘tested’ her throughout her marriage[OPINION]
POLL: Should Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak quit?[INSIGHT]
Boris Johnson says to harness nuclear power NOW – POLL[ANALYSIS]
Carrie Johnson was also fined by the Met (Image: Getty)
On December 8, after the clip of his staff making jokes about the Christmas party went viral, Mr Johnson said he was ‘sickened and furious about it’.
He continued: “I have been assured on several occasions since these allegations emerged that there was no party and that no Covid rules had been broken.
“I have been assured this on several occasions. But I have asked the Cabinet Secretary to establish all the facts and report back as soon as possible.
Later in the day, the Prime Minister was asked at a Number 10 press conference if he would extend an investigation to cover any gatherings, events or parties that may have taken place during the implementation of the Covid laws.
Boris Johnson became Prime Minister in 2019 (Image: Getty)
Mr Johnson replied: ‘All the evidence I can see is that the people in this building have stayed within the rules.
“If it is found that this is not the case and people wish to bring allegations to my attention, to the police or to anyone else, there will of course be appropriate sanctions.”
Again on December 8, Mr Johnson was asked if a second party had been held on November 27, 2020, to which the Prime Minister’s press secretary replied: ‘I would just repeat that all rules of Covid have been respected”.
Then, on December 13, after reports claimed that Mr Johnson had hosted a virtual Christmas quiz in 2020 with two staff by his side, the Prime Minister was even more blunt in his denial.
He said: “I can tell you once again that I certainly didn’t break any rules. All of this is under study.
“But if I may say to you respectfully, of course all of this needs to be properly investigated – you will hear all of this from the Cabinet Secretary.”
Two days later, at a Number 10 press conference, Mr Johnson again stressed that his own behavior was within the rules.
He said, “On your point about the rules, I follow the rules. Everyone through politics should follow the rules.
Finally, on December 20, Mr Johnson again defended himself and his aides after an image emerged of a separate Number 10 garden party that took place on May 15, 2020, with more than a dozen participants.
The Prime Minister said: “It was people at work, talking about work. I said what I had to say about it.
More about this article: Read More
Source: www.express.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-04-12 15:20:00
