British Prime Minister, Conservative Boris Johnson, denied on Tuesday that he had lied to Parliament about the controversial social gathering in the garden of Downing Street in May 2020 and assured that no one warned him that he was going against the restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. coronavirus.
(Read here: Boris Johnson tries to recover his image after scandals)
In his first public statement in nearly a week, Johnson refuted revelations made by Dominic Cummings, his former right-hand man in government, that he and at least one other official alerted the prime minister that the event was not up to standard. And I had to cancel it.
(Also: Scandals lead to a crisis in the British monarchy and government)
“Categorically, nobody told me that this was against the rules or that it violated the rules of the coronavirus,” Johnson told Sky News, after he declared in the House of Commons last week that he attended the meeting in the garden from his official residence because he thought it was a “work event”.
In addition to Cummings’ statements, which assures that the warnings to Johnson were made in writing and were recorded, Sky News indicated that a second source from Downing Street has confirmed that the head of government was alerted to the nature of the event.
The invitations were sent by Johnson’s own private secretary, Martin Reynolds, in an email to more than 100 employees at the prime minister’s official residence.
(In context: Boris Johnson government party scandal during lockdown)
In that text, revealed by the ITV network, workers were urged to “take advantage of the good weather” at the end of May to share some “drinks with social distance” in the garden. “Bring your own drink!” the email concluded.
The publication of details about this and other alleged celebrations in Downing Street and other government departments during the pandemic have put Johnson on the ropes, who is facing calls for resignation from both the opposition and his own party.
The prospect that he lied to Parliament about the warnings given to him before the May festivities may further weaken his precarious political position. “I reiterate my apologies to everyone for the errors in judgment that I made,” Johnson said Tuesday.
As he expressed last week before deputies, the prime minister assured that he understands how “outrageous these revelations must be for people” after the “enormous sacrifices” they have made during the pandemic. The head of government urged to wait for the publication of the internal investigation that he has ordered on the celebrations.
Those investigations had been entrusted in the first place to Simon Case, the highest-ranking official in the British administration, but he had to be removed when it was revealed that he himself was able to participate in a social event against the restrictions.
The responsibility now falls on Sue Gray, second permanent secretary in the Ministry of Territorial Balance, Housing and Communities, who is expected to publish her conclusions in the coming days.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, one of the possible candidates to lead the Conservative Party if Johnson leaves the post, called on Tuesday for “patience” while the Gray investigation is completed.
Asked if Johnson should resign if it is shown that he lied to Parliament, Sunak replied: “I am not going to go into hypothetical situations, the ministerial code is very clear on these matters”, referring to the code of conduct that members of the Government must comply with. .
EFE
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