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The British television channel ‘ITV’ published new information about a party held in May 2020. The Prime Minister’s private secretary would have invited 100 people, including Boris Johnson and his current wife, at a time when meetings of more than two people. Parliament and public opinion are pressing for Johnson to explain.
“You can run away, but you can’t hide.” It is the lapidary phrase that this Tuesday, January 11, launched the number two of the British Labor party, Angela Rayner, on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The premier is accumulated by scandals for alleged parties or private meetings at times of the pandemic in which his Government restricted the meetings of more than two people among the population of the United Kingdom.
So far, Johnson has managed to avoid the consequences, but in the midst of a new outbreak of Covid-19 caused by the Omicron variant, and with the population exhausted after more than two years of pandemic, the new scandal published by the television network ‘ ITV ‘leaves the prime minister on the ropes. This Tuesday, the opposition has asked for clear explanations.
According to ITV information, Johnson’s private secretary would have invited about 100 people on May 20, 2020 to a private party in the gardens of Downing Street, the residence of the prime minister. Boris Johnson and his current wife, Carrie Symonds, would have been there with about 40 people, according to witnesses.
Hours before the meeting, the then head of Culture, Oliver Dowden -now President of the Conservative Party-, reminded citizens that they could “spend time abroad and exercise as often as they wish and meet one or another non-cohabiting person in a public place outside, as long as they are kept two meters apart. “
The aforementioned television channel has also published an email confirming the invitation.
“Hello everyone, after what has been a period of a lot of work, I thought it would be nice to take advantage of this wonderful time and have a few drinks, with due social distance, in the garden of Number 10 [de Downing Street] this afternoon. Join us starting at six in the afternoon, and bring your own alcohol! ”, You can read in the mail.
Where’s Johnson?
The House of Commons held a heated session on Tuesday in which this new information focused much of the debate among political representatives. Boris Johnson, however, was absent from the session. In his place, the Secretary of State, Michael Ellis, appeared, to whom the opposition snapped where the prime minister was.
Ellis apologized, although he declined to explain the party. “It would be inappropriate to comment until the internal investigation has been completed,” he said. From the Labor party, the largest in the opposition, the prime minister has been harshly attacked.
“It is incredibly disappointing, but not surprising that the prime minister is not here today even though there are no official acts pending. He speaks for himself, “said Angela Reyner, number two in the game.
Keir Starmer, their leader, sent a forceful message to Johnson on his Twitter account: “Your aberrations and distractions are absurd. Not only did you have a record of the parties held in Downing Street, you attended them. Stop lying to the British. It is time to finally confess. “
In a relaxed and emotional tone, Labor MP Afzal Khan stated that the premier should be present in the chamber and recalled: “My mother died of Covid-19 in March 2020. She died alone in the hospital while I sat in the car outside. trying to be as close to her as possible. Even burdened by our pain, my family obeyed the rules. “
From the conservative ranks, figures like Gavin Barwell, former chief of staff for Theresa May or Ruth Davidson, former leader of the Conservatives in Scotland, also showed their outrage at the case.
Scotland Yard considers opening an investigation
In a statement, the London Metropolitan Police, known as Scotland Yard, stated that it plans to open an investigation into the case for “alleged violations of the Health Protection Regulations,” a spokesperson for the institution also confirmed.
At the same time, there is an ongoing internal investigation, led by Senior Official Sue Gray, to clarify the other alleged parties or meetings held in Downing Street during the lockdown. Now this last case will also be added and Scotland Yard has already requested information for its investigations.
Sue Gray is second permanent secretary in the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office and took over the investigations in place of Simon Case, her boss and chief executive officer of the British Public Administration. Case had to withdraw from the case after it was learned that one of the controversial meetings had taken place in his office.
So far, the British media have published information on eight events in 2020, including the latter. Among them, a Christmas contest held on December 15 for Downing Street staff. Johson denies that the rules were broken despite a photo published by the ‘Sunday Mirror’. ‘ITV’ and the ‘Daily Mirror’ also published information about a Christmas party on December 18.
With EFE, AP and local media.
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