UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak have been handed fines by the Metropolitan Police for breaking Covid regulations by attending Johnson’s birthday party at Downing Street on June 19, 2020.
The PM and his wife, Carrie Johnson—who was also fined—have both apologised and paid their £50 fines, according to Downing Street.
Speaking on Tuesday night (April 12), Sunak said that he had also paid his fine and offered what he called an “unreserved apology”. However, despite widespread calls for him to resign, he has said he would stay in his job.
Johnson had initially resisted any admission of guilt and even with his “full apology”, he made sure to add that “in all frankness, at that time, it did not occur to me that this might have been a breach of the rules”. However, he did say that he “now humbly accepts” that he broke the rules.
This is unlikely to be the end of the saga, though. There are still loud calls for both Johnson and Sunak to resign and it’s worth remembering these fines only relate to one party. It’s been widely reported that of the 12 events being investigated as part of the Met Police’s Operation Hillman—the investigation into Covid breaches at the top of government—Johnson was present at six of them, including his birthday party.
Not only that, but critics have pointed out that this fine proves that Johnson misled Parliament when he claimed that all Covid guidelines were followed at Downing Street. If that is the case, they argue, then under ministerial code he should resign.
