London, 12 May 2022 (AFP) – London police announced this Thursday (12) that they have imposed an additional 50 fines as part of their investigations into parties held in British power circles during the 2020 and 2021 lockdowns. “Partygate” – bringing the total above 100.
It is currently unknown whether the new sanctions cover Prime Minister Boris Johnson, his wife Carrie and Finance Minister Rishi Sunak. They were fined already in April for attending the prime minister’s 56th birthday party held in the cabinet room in June 2020.
According to local media, Johnson would have participated in up to six of the 12 cases investigated.
On Thursday 11, Scotland Yard reported that as part of this ongoing investigation, “more than 100” fines have been issued for violations of anti-covid laws.
Johnson, who was fined last month, apologized “unconditionally” in Parliament. He failed to persuade the opposition, who demanded his resignation.
The Conservative leader claimed that his participation in the short celebration for his birthday “could not have occurred to him at the time or later” that “could constitute a violation of the norm”.
The press coverage of numerous illegal parties held in Downing Street or other government buildings at a time when the population’s social interactions were restricted by law shocked the British.
The scandal lowered Johnson’s popularity. The Prime Minister’s Conservative Party was also publicly sanctioned and suffered a hard defeat in the local elections in early May in the context of out-of-control inflation and loss of purchasing power that fueled anger over the “party gate”.
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source: Noticias
