Britain is plunging into a deep political crisis sparked by the 10 Downing Street party scandal in May 2020 during a period of strict lockdown. Boris Johnson’s apology for participating in what he allegedly considered a “working” event did not convince not only the opposition Laborites, but also some of his associates in the Conservative Party. According to polls, against the backdrop of a series of scandals involving the prime minister, 66% of the country’s population already wants his resignation.
Boris Johnson’s apology for partying at 10 Downing Street during the nationwide lockdown blew up the British press. “Shame”, “Liar”, “A Man Without Shame”, “Rules for Little People Only”, “The Prime Minister’s Future Is on the Knife Edge”, “Operation Save Boris”, “The Tories Urge Boris Johnson to Resign” are just some of the headlines that made the front pages of British newspapers on Thursday.
Mr. Johnson’s repentant speech to parliamentarians on Wednesday was one of the darkest moments of his tenure. The politician admitted publicly for the first time that he was at a party on May 20, 2020, which took place in the garden of his residence on Downing Street and, according to the BBC, was attended by about 30 people. At that time, the country was under such a strict lockdown that people were not allowed to visit even their dying friends and relatives in hospitals and nursing homes, and only one person was allowed to meet on the street. “I want to apologize. I understand how people get angry at me and the government I run when they think that Downing Street itself does not follow the rules properly by the people who make the rules,” said Boris Johnson in Parliament.
True, not everyone believed in the sincerity of his apologies. Firstly, they were forced to bring them – after the television company ITV published a letter that fell into her hands with an invitation to the event from Martin Reynolds, personal secretary of Boris Johnson.
Among other things, it called on the participants to “bring their own booze.”
Secondly, in his speech in Parliament, the prime minister insisted that he “by default assumed that this was a working event.” Characteristically, on the day of the party, the government held a press conference reminding them of the ban on group gatherings outdoors and indoors.
The scandal caused such a strong public outcry that the prospect of resignation loomed before Boris Johnson. This call was made by the leader of the opposition Labor Party Cyrus Starmer.
“The party is over, Prime Minister. The only question is whether he will be kicked out by the British society, his party, or he himself will do the right thing and resign, ”he said.
The idea is supported by some conservatives. “Now, unfortunately, he (Boris Johnson.— “b”) looks like a burden (for the party.— “b”) and I think he will leave his post either now or in three years in a general election,” MP Caroline Noakes told ITV. In addition, parliamentarians William Wragg and Roger Gale, as well as the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Douglas Ross, spoke out for the prime minister’s resignation. True, in order to launch the procedure for voting on a vote of no confidence, the support of a much larger number of conservatives than now is needed – 54.
In the meantime, Boris Johnson’s loyal associates are doing everything to avoid such a scenario. The prime minister was “very, very sincere” in his apology, Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis told the BBC on Thursday. Meanwhile, influential Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, in an interview with LBC radio station, called Douglas Ross, who criticized the prime minister, a “lightweight figure” and suggested an investigation into whether the measures to combat the pandemic were proportionate to the situation or whether they were “too harsh for people.”
Meanwhile, according to Sky News, citing a police statement, the investigation awaits Boris Johnson himself, who on Thursday pointedly canceled his trip to Lancashire, citing a positive test for coronavirus in one of his family members. “The prime minister is not going anywhere,” Treasurer General Michael Ellis assured, confirming that the investigation will include an examination of the events of May 15, 2020. We are talking about another party, which, as The Guardian reported earlier, was attended by the prime minister. It should be noted that a parliamentary investigation is already underway on another possible fact of quarantine violations. British media previously reported that on December 18, 2020, in the midst of the winter lockdown, Boris Johnson attended a Christmas party. Commenting on this information, the prime minister assured journalists: he “didn’t break any rules for sure.”
A series of scandals, along with Boris Johnson’s “incoherent”, as the media called it, speech at the Confederation of British Industry conference in November, indicates that a black streak has come in Boris Johnson’s career.
Recall that at the conference, the prime minister suddenly lost the thread of his speech, began to talk about his trip to the Peppa Pig World amusement park in the south of England, quoted Lenin, compared himself to Moses and imitated engine noise.
All this not only puzzled journalists, but also forced Boris Johnson’s press service to make excuses, convincing everyone: everything is in order with the prime minister.
As of December 20, Mr. Johnson’s disapproval rating as head of government was 71% and 23% support, according to a YouGov poll. In April 2020 – at the peak of its popularity – these figures were 26% and 66%, respectively. According to a study by the consulting company Savanta ComRes, published on January 11, 66% of Britons (among adults) believe that the prime minister should resign. Among conservatives, the figure was 42%.
If the 2019 election turned out to be a resounding success for Boris Johnson (the Conservatives won the most landslide victory since Margaret Thatcher), now his career hangs in the balance. The authoritative American magazine The Atlantic has already concluded: “If Johnson is removed from power, it will be an unprecedented political and personal failure in modern British politics.”
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