| British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologizes during a conversation with the Prime Minister of the House of Commons in London, for holding a drinking party during the coronavirus lockdown. © AFP=News1 © News1 Reporter Dongmyeong Woo |
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was on the brink of resignation due to a drunken party, has apologized for the party in the Prime Minister’s Office in April. The Prime Minister’s Office said Johnson was not present at the party.
According to Reuters on the 14th (local time), employees of the Prime Minister’s Office held a party on the night before the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II’s husband Prince Philip on April 16 last year, in violation of the government’s quarantine guidelines that prohibit gatherings in indoor spaces except for family members. .
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office said, “It is very regrettable that what happened during the national mourning period and the Prime Minister’s Office apologized to the royal family.” A spokesperson said Johnson was at the then-provincial residence, Checkers, and was not invited to any meetings.
Prior to this, Johnson was accused of attending a social party in the garden of the Prime Minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street, London, on May 20, last year. At that time, it was the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak, when the British government imposed the first lockdown and banned social gatherings across the country.
In a question-and-answer session in the House of Representatives on the 12th, Prime Minister Johnson admitted to attending the party and apologized, saying, “I am very sorry that I did not act differently that evening.”
However, inside and outside the party, there are strong arguments for his resignation. Within the Conservative Party, a vote of no confidence for Johnson’s resignation and Treasury Secretary Rishi Sunak are being discussed as candidates for the next prime minister.
Scottish Conservative Party leader Douglas Ross said: “Unfortunately, his post as prime minister will no longer be upheld.
Opposition lawmakers such as the Labor Party, the Liberal Democrats, the Scottish People’s Party, and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), led by the Labor Party, are pressing for immediate resignation.
Labor leader Kir Starmer called for Johnson’s resignation the day before, criticizing Johnson for making outrageous lies and excuses.
The London Police Department has launched an investigation into allegations of violations of COVID-19 quarantine measures against Prime Minister Johnson and his staff.
This is not the first time Johnson has been accused of violating quarantine rules. On the 15th, five days before the incident, a photo of him having a conversation with his wife and staff in front of a wine glass at the same place was released, causing controversy. There was also a suspicion that he had a party with acquaintances in the prime minister’s office during Christmas at the end of that year.
jrkim@news1.kr
