Calls are rising for Boris Johnson, the United Kingdom Prime Minister, to resign after more revelations came to light about regular parties organized at 10th Downing Street that broke COVID lock-down rules, with Keir Rodney Starmer, the U.K. Labor party leader, saying Mr. Johnson was ‘incapable to lead.’
According to the Daily Mirror newspaper’s latest report, the British PM witnessed weekly ‘wine-time Friday’ drinking sessions by his staff members throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, for which they installed an expressly bought wine fridge.
The British newspaper report caps a sweltering week of revelations about lock-down breaches in 10th Downing Street that saw the Prime Minister’s office forced on 14th January to make an apology to Queen Elizabeth II. Mr. Johnson then apologized on Wednesday to parliament for attending what he called a ‘work event,’ at a time when social mixing was disqualified.
The drip-feed threatens to overshadow reported plans by the British PM to relaunch his embattled premiership, beginning with a relaxation of ongoing deadly COVID-19 pandemic restrictions later in the month.
Whether Boris Johnson and his staffers eloquently broke the law during prior coronavirus lock-downs is the critical question being addressed in an investigation by Sue Gray, the senior civil servant, who could report back the following week. However, according to the Times newspaper, Sue Gray is also said to have been totally blindsided by the new revelations.
However, Keir Starmer said Sunday that PM Johnson broke the law and lied regarding it. In an interview for the BBC’s “Sunday Morning,” the leader of the Labor Party said it wasn’t essential to wait for the party-gate report to learn whether British PM broke the restrictions because it was already evident that he did.
Labour leader Keir Starmer accuses Boris Johnson of breaking law with “industrial scale partying” going on at No 10.
“I think he broke the law – I think he has as good as admitted he broke the law… The PM broke the law and then lied about it.”
— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) January 16, 2022
British PM Plans to Scrap COVID Self-Isolation Law
On Sunday, the Telegraph reported that the U.K. is drawing up plans under which people won’t be lawfully bound to self-isolate after catching coronavirus disease.
The British PM wants to permanently revoke emergency COVID-19 laws as the U.K.’s coronavirus infections continue to decrease, according to the report, adding official direction would remain but wouldn’t result in fines or lawful punishment if overlooked. Moreover, the plans will be worked up over the upcoming weeks, with a declaration likely as early as the Spring.
Last week, Mr. Sajid Javid, the U.K. Health Secretary, said COVID self-isolation in England would be decreased to 5-days from 7-days if someone tests COVID-negative twice. Moreover, according to an earlier Telegraph report, Mr. Johnson is set to lift Plan B COVID-19 rules, introduced in December to slow the spread of the more contagious Omicron variant of coronavirus.
Sir Roger Gale, William Wragg, Andrew Bridgen, Caroline Nokes, and Douglas Ross are among the Tory MPs who have openly called on the British Prime Minister to resign. Only a few of Conservative MPs have openly said they’ve submitted letters to the Conservative Party’s parliamentary group in the United Kingdom House of Commons – 1922 Committee. But the Telegraph report said that sources have estimated nearly twenty might have been handed in, although that is well short of the fifty-four needed to cause a leadership vote.