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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
National
Laura Webster

Boris Johnson BOOED by royal supporters as he attends Jubilee service

Boris and Carrie Johnson were booed as they came up the steps of the Cathedral

BORIS Johnson has been booed upon arrival at St Paul's for the Jubilee service.

Members of the crowd jeered at the Prime Minister and his wife Carrie as they got out of their car and walked up the steps of the Cathedral for the National Thanksgiving Service. 

Tributes are being paid to the Queen’s “70 years of faithful and dedicated service” as 2000 people including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Cabinet ministers, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and former prime ministers fill the historic church.

The booing of Johnson comes as a number of Tory MPs demand his resignation in the wake of the damning publication of the Sue Gray report.

Johnson, his wife Carrie, and the Chancellor have all apologised in April after the Metropolitan Police handed them fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for the party in the Cabinet Room on June 19 2020.

But the findings of the Gray report depicted a culture of boozing, fighting, vomiting and even karaoke during lockdown-breaching parties across Downing Street and Whitehall.

In her recent report, the senior civil servant also found boozy drinks parties were held at the heart of Government on April 16 2021, the eve of the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral – albeit not attended by the PM himself.

As part of their investigation into lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street and Whitehall, the Metropolitan Police deemed that coronavirus restrictions were breached ahead of the funeral.

Commentators noted that the royalist crowd booing Johnson was significant.

"What's so striking about Boris Johnson being met with the chorus of boos he so obviously deserves is - this is the Jubilee crowds!" wrote Owen Jones. "I doubt there's many card-carrying lefties doing the booing here!"

The FT's George Parker added: "Given that the crowd at St Paul's are unlikely to be dyed-in-the-wool Corbynites, this reaction to Boris Johnson will worry Tory strategists."

"Boris Johnson jeered by flag-waving crowds?" said Russ Jones. "Ok, NOW I can get behind the Jubilee."

So far, more than 25 MPs have publicly called on the Prime Minister to stand down – although not all of them have said whether they have written to Sir Graham Brady.

No Scottish Conservative MP has called for Johnson to go, although West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine's Andrew Bowie did publicly question the Prime Minister's position this week

The party's leader Douglas Ross continues to argue that the war in Ukraine is more pressing, and that a leadership election should not take place while it is ongoing.

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