British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak have rejected calls to resign, despite being fined by police for breaking lockdown rules in Downing Street in June 2020.
This comes after the prime minister, the chancellor, and the PM’s wife all received fixed penalty notices for attending a birthday gathering for the PM in No 10, Downing Street.
As a result, Mr. Johnson became the UK’s first serving prime minister to be sanctioned for breaking the law. All three apologized, but opposition MPs say the PM and Mr. Sunak must quit.
Mr. Johnson said he felt “an even greater sense of obligation to deliver”, while the chancellor said he was “focused on delivering for the British people”.
Johnson and Sunak are thought to be the first sitting prime minister and chancellor to be criminally sanctioned. Both senior politicians were also accused of misleading parliament by previously denying they had attended parties during a lockdown.
Speaking on Tuesday, April 12, the PM said he accepted “in all sincerity that people had the right to expect better” from him.
He claimed the event he was fined for attending – a gathering in the Cabinet Room to mark his birthday – was “brief” and lasted “less than 10 minutes”.
He claimed the event he was fined for attending – a gathering in the Cabinet Room to mark his birthday – was “brief” and lasted “less than 10 minutes”.
Sunak later released a statement, saying: “I understand that for figures in public office, the rules must be applied stringently in order to maintain public confidence.
“I respect the decision that has been made and have paid the fine.”
But the “full” and “unreserved” apologies from the PM and chancellor did not silence their critics.
The fines come as part of an investigation by the Metropolitan Police into illegal parties held in Downing Street and across Whitehall during Covid lockdowns in 2020 and 2021. The force is looking into 12 parties overall and has already issued more than 50 fines, with more expected to come.
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