(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Jong-seok Yoon = British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is on the verge of resignation due to a ‘party gate’ that the prime minister’s office held a drinking party during the COVID-19 lockdown, foreign media such as Reuters and dpa reported on the 18th (local time) reported
Criticism of Prime Minister Johnson is growing after it was revealed that Prime Minister’s office staff held several banquet parties during strict lockdown measures due to the coronavirus.
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Recently, a former aide revealed that Johnson had lied about the party, but that Congress thought it was a business meeting.
Johnson has denied the congressional perjury allegations are untrue, but it is increasing the number of lawmakers agreeing to his no-confidence process, the media said.
In particular, Prime Minister Johnson’s out-of-body speech stating that “there was no report that the drinking party was violating the rules at the time” is raising outrage.
The British daily The Telegraph reports that 20 Conservative MPs who entered Parliament during the 2019 general election are expected to file a letter of no confidence in him. Most of them were said to have been elected by a narrow margin after competitive competition in the general election at the time.
When more than 54 of the 360 Conservative party members, or 15%, send a letter of no confidence to the ‘1922 Committee’, a meeting of party councilors, the process of no confidence in Prime Minister Johnson begins in earnest.
Some British media reported that a letter from 54 MPs, which required no confidence in him, would be filled on the 19th.
Rep. Steve Baker, who led the Brexit pro-Brexit group and has a large influence within the party, also expressed public opinion on the broadcast that he was opposed to the prime minister by a 60 to 1 vote in the constituency.
Just two years ago, Johnson won the largest Conservative party victory since former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1987, and has led Britain’s Brexit as Prime Minister ever since.
However, the partygate that occurred during the tightly controlled COVID-19 lockdown has sharply weakened Johnson’s position within the Conservative Party.
Submission of a non-confidence letter is strictly confidential. Only 1922 committee chair, Sir Graham Brady, knows how many lawmakers have written no confidence because of this, Reuters reported.
In response, Prime Minister Johnson pulled out a card to ease restrictions on the prevention of COVID-19.
It is reported that he is planning to propose a plan to lift strict COVID-19 regulations called ‘Plan B’ at the Congress on the 19th.
It is reported that the British government is planning to abolish Plan B, which focuses on wearing a quarantine mask, recommending working from home, and applying a vaccine pass to large event venues within the next week. This is considered a measure to win the favor of some lawmakers who receive complaints about deregulation in the constituency.
However, it is reported that some Conservative lawmakers who were elected in Red Wall, the Labor Party’s garden area in the last general election, met on the 18th to discuss whether to push for Prime Minister Johnson’s resignation.
There is also a report that among many Conservative party lawmakers who have withheld their position, there is a growing public opinion that the prime minister should resign if a decision of no confidence is made.
When asked if he would resign if there was a decision of no confidence in Prime Minister Johnson, he did not respond, saying, “Let’s wait for the results of the Partygate investigation.”
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2022/01/19 11:10 Send
