Boris Johnson faced fresh calls to quit on Wednesday evening as the fallout from the release of Sue Gray’s report into lockdown law-breaking at the heart of Government intensified.
Pressure was piled on the Prime Minister as Tory MP Julian Sturdy released a statement saying he felt “it is now in the public interest” for Mr Johnson to resign.
It came as the PM was meeting with Tory backbench MPs after insisting he should remain in office despite acknowledging public anger at the “bitter and painful” conclusions of Sue Gray inquiry.
Speaking at a press conference in the afternoon, the Prime Minister said it “did not occur” to him or senior government officials that Covid rules were being breached in Downing Street during lockdown.
The Gray report, released this morning, includes details of 16 boozy events across Whitehall and in Downing Street in breach of Covid laws. Mr Johnson said much of the content of the report was “news to me”.
It shows photographs from Lee Cain’s lockdown leaving party in November 2020 at which the Prime Minister gave a toast in front of a table strewn with half empty alcohol bottles.
Quizzed on why he had consistently told MPs and the public that he believed “no rules were broken” at the heart of Government, Mr Johnson said: “I’ve tried to explain the context of why I was at other events where I was saying farewell to valued colleagues.
“I know that some people will think it was wrong to even do that. I have to say I respectfully disagree, I think it was right.
“When people who were working very hard, for very long hours, when they are giving up a huge amount to serve their country and they are moving on to some other part of government or leaving government service altogether, I think it is right to thank them.”
