The British Police sanctioned Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and his Minister for the Economy, Rishi Sunak, for having participated in parties during confinement at the worst moment of the Covid-19 pandemic. The news revived calls from the opposition for the leader to step down, a move dismissed out of hand by Johnson himself.

An announcement that ended the apparent calm of Downing Street. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Treasury Secretary Rishi Sunak were fined by police for breaking Covid-19 rules by partying during lockdown.

“The Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer received notice today that the Metropolitan Police intend to issue them notices of fixed fines,” said a spokesman for Johnson’s office.

“We don’t have any more details, but we’ll update you again when we do,” he added on April 12.

The notice came after the Police reported that they would issue 30 notices of fixed sanctions in relation to the so-called ‘ partygate ‘. A scandal that exploded after revelations that Johnson’s staff held parties and birthday celebrations when the country was going through a strict confinement due to the high number of Covid-19 infections in 2020.

The findings shook the prime minister’s permanence in office, as it aroused the ire of many Britons because at that time not only could they not meet with their acquaintances but they also did not have permission to attend funerals or say goodbye to their loved ones. who died in the hospital.

Johnson apologizes and assures that he will not resign

“I have to say, in all honesty, it did not occur to me at the time that this might have been a breach of the rules. But of course the Police found otherwise and I fully respect the outcome of their investigation,” Johnson said. to the ‘BBC’.

The premier asked for “complete apologies” but assured that he will not resign.

Police had been investigating 12 gatherings in Downing Street. Some investigations that add to the internal investigation carried out by Sue Gray that concluded that 16 parties were held in Johnson’s office.

Despite this, the premier denied in the past that he had acted improperly and assured that there were no parties and that all the rules were followed.

However, some time later he apologized to Parliament for having attended only one event which he claimed he believed to be work-related. She also apologized to Queen Elizabeth II because her staff threw a party the day before the funeral of her husband, Philip of Edinburgh.

The amount of the sanctions that will be applied to Johnson and Sunak is not known, but many in Parliament have called for the resignation of both officials.

New and various dismissal requests

A new wave of criticism stemmed from the government’s announcement. The leader of the opposition Labor party called for the impeachment of the two via his Twitter account.

“Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have repeatedly broken the law and lied to the British public. Both must resign. Conservatives are totally incapable of governing. Britain deserves better,” he wrote.

Also the leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, called for a motion of censure against the premier.

“This is a government in crisis that neglects a country in crisis. Parliament must be summoned for a motion of censure against the prime minister, ”he assured.

For its part, the group ‘Families grieving Covid-19 for Justice in the United Kingdom’ stated on its Twitter account that “there is simply no way that the prime minister or the chancellor can continue. His dishonesty has caused incalculable harm to the mourners.”

What could be the future of Johnson?

For months opponents and even some members of his own party have called for the prime minister’s resignation.

However, the war in Ukraine had taken his eyes off the Prime Minister’s scandals to take them on the future of the European country. For many, the leadership on Russia sanctions and the role Johnson had played had served as his temporary lifeline.

But now the picture is different. Johnson’s fine is unprecedented. “As far as we know, there is no precedent for a prime minister being found to have broken the law,” said the House of Commons Library, a research service based in Parliament.

The immediate future of the prime minister will depend on his own party. 54 letters expressing lack of confidence in the premier are needed for a vote of confidence to be called in Parliament.

Many, despite his refusal, ask him to resign.

Sunak’s charge hangs in the balance

The last few weeks have been marked by criticism of the Economy Minister. Sunak was heavily questioned over the recent revelation that he renounced the United States “green card”, which is granted to permanent residents in the country, only when he was appointed to the position.

In addition, his wife, Akshata Murty, who owns approximately 0.9% of the Indian IT giant Infosys INFY.NS, claimed that he had no “tax domicile”. That is, she did not pay taxes on her earnings outside the British territory.

Furthermore, Sunak had already been criticized for the biggest cost-of-living cut since 1956.

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