British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has once again dismissed the possibility of resigning this Wednesday (25), after taking “full responsibility” for the Downing Street parties during the lockdown.
“I understand that people are angry,” he said at a press conference following the release of an internal report that British political leaders and senior officials involved in this scandal known as the “party door” should “take responsibility”.
“But given all that has happened, I believe it is my responsibility to move forward with “priorities” like the Ukraine war and the cost of living crisis,” he said.
Hours ago, he took “full responsibility for everything that happens in my presence” before Parliament.
“Many of these events should not have happened,” said the official Sue Gray report, without naming the British prime minister.
Johnson justified himself by arguing that his employees work long hours in the midst of a pandemic and that it is difficult to “draw a line between work and socializing.”
However, he acknowledged that “many of these events took too long, broke the rules” and declared that he was “surprised” by Gray’s explanation of the events that he was “not there for”.
“My participation was not found to be breaking the rules,” he stressed, when he assured that the rules were being followed months ago, that it was “what he believed was right” and has made it important ever since. changes in the management of their offices.
His arguments did not convince the opposition. Scottish nationalist Ian Blackford accused him of “losing the moral authority that was left behind” and again demanded his resignation, as did the Labor Party.
“Presence of senior officials”
Considered to be meticulous and ruthless, Gray began investigating the many parties held in Downing Street months ago when Covid-19 rules prevented Britons from reuniting with loved ones and even saying goodbye to those who died from a disease that claimed 178,000 lives. country.
He finished his report in January, but police decided to open their own investigation and forced him to release an edited version, skipping all the details so as not to interfere with the investigation.
Scotland Yard closed its investigation last week and fined 83 people 126 for 8 parties, and Gray may finally publish his findings.
“Some of the less experienced employees believed they were allowed to attend some of these events because of the presence of high positions,” he said.
Alongside Johnson and his wife, Carrie, Finance Minister Rishi Sunak received a single sanction from the police for what appeared to be the most trivial of meetings, which was his 56th birthday party on June 19, 2020.
The Conservative leader at the time refused to resign, assuring that his attendance at the short meeting “could be a violation of the rules” and “it didn’t occur to him then and then”.
On Wednesday, he reiterated his apologies for attending this “short event”.
– Did Boris Johnson lie? Faced with an internal rebellion earlier this year by the Conservatives, who wanted to impeach him as a result of the scandal, Johnson later saw how the war in Ukraine changed the spotlight in late February and lessened the threat that was hanging in the air. .
Given the context of the war crisis and the important role the British played in the international response to the Russian invasion, many members of the majority wanted to await the results of the investigations before considering a possible vote of no confidence, should be requested by at least 15% of the Conservative Party’s 359 MPs.
Many Conservative lawmakers waited for Gray’s report to decide whether the prime minister was sincere when he said they didn’t know he was breaking the rules.
Some members of the Opposition and Conservative majority denounce that he knowingly lied. And after the publication of Gray’s report, they approved the opening of a parliamentary committee to determine whether Johnson misled Parliament, which required his resignation under the code of conduct.
source: Noticias
