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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Pippa Crerar

More than half of Brits think PM should resign over Partygate - and most think he lied

Two in three people think Boris Johnson lied to the Commons over Partygate – including almost half of those who voted Tory at the last election.

A Delta Poll for the Mirror shows 49% of 2019 Tory voters think he lied.

The Prime Minister repeatedly denied knowledge of Downing Street lockdown parties to MPs. It then emerged he was at half of dozen of those probed by police.

Last week MPs backed a Commons probe into whether he deliberately misled Parliament, which is traditionally a resigning offence for ministers.

After he received his first fine for a lockdown birthday party, Mr Johnson told MPs it had not occurred to him “then or subsequently” that he had broken the law.

A police officer is seen outside 10 Downing Street (Getty Images)

But the poll found 66% of voters thought he knew his actions had breached the rules. Just 20% believed he was telling the truth.

The Privileges Committee investigation, which will only start after Scotland Yard has completed its own inquiry, has the power to request evidence.

This means senior civil servant Sue Gray, who has conducted a third probe, could be asked for the 300 photos and 500 documents she has collated.

More than seven in ten people think that the photos of Downing Street lockdown parties submitted as evidence should be published.

More than one in three voters – 38% – say they should be published as soon as possible, though the Metropolitan Police investigation is ongoing.

Rishi Sunak also received a fine for breaking Covid rules (Getty Images)

The Partygate scandal continues to dog Mr Johnson on the campaign trail ahead of next week’s local elections.

More than half of voters, 54%, said the PM’s response after having been found to have broken the law has made them less favourable towards the Conservatives.

With some Tory MPs plotting to oust Mr Johnson as Tory leader after polling day, nearly six in ten voters, 57%, think he should resign over the saga.

Boris Johnson denied knowledge of Downing Street lockdown parties to MPs (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

This includes a third (33%) of those who voted Conservative at the last election and one in five (20%) current Conservative supporters.

Poll question 1

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak recently received fines by the police for breaking COVID lockdown laws. They were both reported to be at the same gathering for the Prime Minister’s birthday in June 2020.

In a statement to MPs in the House of Commons, the Prime Minister said: "It did not occur to me then or subsequently that a gathering in the cabinet room just before a vital meeting on COVID strategy could amount to a breach of the rules.”

Do you believe this statement does or does not tell the truth about what really happened?

It does tell the truth - at the time the Prime Minister did not think his actions breached the rules - 20%

It does not tell the truth - at the time the Prime Minister knew his actions breached the rules - 66%

Boris Johnson with an open bottle of bubbly during lockdown (Daily Mirror)

Poll question 2

Do you think that the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, should resign after being found to have broken the law over Covid restrictions during lockdown?

Yes - 57%

No - 31%

Poll question 3

It has been reported that photographs taken at events by taxpayer-funded official photographers for the Prime Minister are among the evidence submitted to investigations into the gatherings.

Which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?

These photographs should be published publicly as soon as possible - 38%

These photographs should be published publicly, but only once all formal investigations have finished - 33%

These photographs were taken at private gatherings and should not be published publicly - 18%

Boris Johnson has faced calls to resign over Partygate (Getty Images)

Poll question 4

Taking everything into account, would you say the response of the Prime Minister after being found to have broken the law over COVID restrictions during lockdown has made you feel more or less favourable towards the Conservatives, or has it made no difference?

More favourable - 5%

Less favourable - 54%

No difference - 35%

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