Pressure is growing on Boris Johnson to resign after it was revealed he will be issued with a fixed penalty notice fine by the Met Police. His wife Carrie Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak will also been issued with a fine.
It comes after police investigating allegations of lockdown parties held in Downing Street and Whitehall said they have now made more than 50 referrals for fines. At least 30 more fixed penalty notices will be issued by the ACRO Criminal Records Office, the Metropolitan Police said in its latest update on Operation Hillman, which is looking into breaches of Covid-19 regulations.
A No 10 spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have today received notification that the Metropolitan police intend to issue them with fixed penalty notices. We have no further details, but we will update you again when we do.”
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Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was among the first to call for the Prime Minister to resign on Tuesday (12 April). He said: “Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have broken the law and repeatedly lied to the British public. They must both resign. The Conservatives are totally unfit to govern. Britain deserves better.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan also called for Mr Johnson’s resignation, tweeting: “A Prime Minister who breaks the laws his Government makes and then lies about it isn’t fit for office.
“Families made huge sacrifices and obeyed the law. Many said their last goodbyes to loved ones on the phone while the Prime Minister partied. Boris Johnson must resign.”
Meanwhile bereaved families have said there is “simply no way” the Prime Minister and Chancellor can continue in post. Lobby Akinnola, spokesman for Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, said Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak “broke the law” and “took us all for mugs”.
He said: “There is simply no way either the Prime Minister or Chancellor can continue. Their dishonesty has caused untold hurt to the bereaved.
“Not only that, but they have lost all credibility with the wider public, which could cost lives if new variants mean restrictions are needed in the future. If they had any decency they would be gone by tonight.”
However, previously Mr Johnson has remained defiant and refused to say whether or not he would resign if he were to be hit with a fine in relation to the lockdown-breaking parties.
What happens if a Prime Minister resigns?
When a Prime Minister resigns, the subsequent events are conditioned by context surrounding their departure. If a PM resigns following a loss in a general election, they offer their resignation to the monarch and the winning party then forms a government.
However, if Johnson, or any other PM was to resign during parliament, the process is far longer and follows many more processes. Under conventions of the UK's unwritten constitution, Britain must have a Prime Minister at all times.
So, a standing prime minister departing automatically triggers a leadership contest , but does not leave straight away. The appointment of a new party leader can takes up to a month and includes arduous campaigning, jostling for position and various behind the scenes machinations.
When the leadership contest is decided, the outgoing prime minister will go and offer their resignation to the Queen, and advise she appoints the new leader of the party as prime minister - this is largely ceremonial. Commonly, incoming Prime Ministers choose to hold a general election to reinforce their power, but this is unlikely in 2022.
In 2007, a Conservative leadership contest was triggered when Tony Blair resigned in June 2007. It was won by Gordon Brown, who ran uncontested. In 2016, another contest took place when David Cameron resigned as Tory party leader.
Theresa May went on to win in July 2016, after Andrea Leadsom withdrew and left Mrs May as the sole candidate. And more recently in June 2019, Theresa May resigned, with Boris Johnson being elected in the leadership contest with almost twice as many votes as his opponent Jeremy Hunt.
