Boris Johnson is one of the latest people to be fined by the Metropolitan Police as part of its investigation into parties held during lockdown. It comes after police investigating allegations of illegal parties held in Downing Street and Whitehall said they have now made more than 50 referrals for fines.
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.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has since called for the Prime Minister and Chancellor Rishi Sunak to resign, who has also been issued a fixed penalty notice. Sir Keir said: “Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have broken the law and repeatedly lied to the British public. They must both resign.
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“The Conservatives are totally unfit to govern. Britain deserves better.”
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon joined calls for the PM to resign, tweeting: "Boris Johnson must resign. He broke the law and repeatedly lied to parliament about it.
"The basic values of integrity and decency - essential to the proper working of any parliamentary democracy - demand that he go. And he should take his out of touch chancellor with him."
But will the Prime Minister resign? In early February, Mr Johnson refused to say whether he would resign if he was fined for breaching lockdown restrictions by police.
Asked at a press conference with Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg to discuss Russian aggression against Ukraine on 10 February, the Prime Minister said he would not outline how he would respond until the police investigation concludes.
“That process must be completed and I’m looking forward to it being completed and that’s the time to say more on that,” he told reporters in Brussels. Pressed a second time, Mr Johnson responded: “I understand but we’re going to wait for the process to be completed.”
Just eight days later, the PM handed in a legal questionnaire to police regarding claims that lockdown-busting parties were held in Downing Street. The content of his questionnaire response has not been made public.
Then on February 20, speaking in an interview with BBC One’s Sunday Morning Programme, Mr Johnson said he “can’t comment about a process that is under way” when asked if he would resign if he is found to have broken lockdown laws. He was also asked if he could understand many people’s doubts about his explanations of gatherings held in No 10.
“There is simply not a bean I can tell you about that,” he responded. Speaking of the police investigation and criticism from his own party members, Mr Johnson said: “I am fortunate to live in a democracy. I am fortunate to be the PM of a free independent democratic country where people can take that sort of decision, and where I do face that sort of pressure, that’s a wonderful thing.”
The following month during Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Johnson insisted he was getting on with the job of running the country as he faced calls to quit for misleading Parliament over the partygate row. It was his first public comments since the Met Police concluded coronavirus laws were broken following an inquiry into lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street and Whitehall.
Mr Johnson said the “investigators must get on with their job” but “we are going to get on with our job”. Sir Keir Starmer had suggested Mr Johnson should resign for misleading the House by denying the allegations of wrongdoing at the parties during England’s coronavirus lockdowns.
The Labour leader said: “He told the House no rules were broken in Downing Street during lockdown. The police have now concluded there was widespread criminality.
“The Ministerial Code says that ministers who knowingly mislead the House should resign. Why is he still here?”
The Prime Minister said: “Of course the Met, the investigators must get on with their job, but in the meantime … we are going to get on with our job. That means tackling the cost of living, addressing the UK’s energy supply and improving education.
“That’s what we’re focusing on and I think that’s what the people in this country want us to focus on.”
