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Highlights
- PM Johnson, his wife Carrie, and Chancellor Sunak received Fixed Penalty Notices from the Met police for breaching COVID-19 lockdown rules in 2020.
- The two top parliamentarians have apologised for the incident but rejected the calls for resignation.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been fined by London's Metropolitan Police over his alleged violations of COVID-19 lockdown laws in 2020. He is said to have received a Fixed Penalty Notice for attending his own birthday party in the Cabinet Room at 10 Downing Street in June 2020.
Along with the PM, his wife Carrie Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, who were also present at the said birthday party, dubbed as 'Partygate' by the media, have also been issued Fixed Penalty Notices for breaching the lockdown laws.
With this, Johnson has become the first sitting PM in the history of the UK to have breached the law and get fined for it. Confirming the payment of the fine, the prime minister apologised to the people, saying that it did not occur to him that he breached the COVID-19 rules. However, he now 'humbly accepts' that it was a breach. The PM added that he spoke in 'completely good faith' when he repeatedly stressed that all the guidelines were followed in Number 10, adding that people in Britain have the 'right to expect better’.
Echoing similar sentiments, Chancellor Rishi Sunak also offered an apology and stated that he is focused on delivering for the British people, like the prime minister. He further said that he deeply regrets the frustration and anger of people who suffered due to COVID-19.
Sunak also said that to maintain public confidence, rules must be strictly applied to people in public office.
Calls grow for the resignation
Calls for the resignation of the country's two top parliamentarians grew stronger after they accepted that they broke the rules. Opposition leaders accused the duo of lying about their attendance at the gathering, with several leaders demanding them to quit.
However, when asked if he would quit, Johnson on Tuesday said that he had already apologised and paid the fine, adding that he wants to tackle the problems that the country must face right now.
Sunak, who was reportedly unaware of the birthday gathering and went to the Cabinet Room for a COVID-19 meet, is also said to have rejected the calls to resign and pledged that he would stay in post.
Meanwhile, the Met police confirmed on Tuesday that it had issued 30 more fines in connection with violation of laws in Downing Street and Whitehall during the COVID-19 lockdown. The probe into the matter, named Operation Hillman, is underway.
