Demands for his resignation: penalty for “Partygate”: will lawbreaker Johnson remain?

Boris Johnson was celebrated as a radiant statesman for his lightning visit to Kyiv, but just a few days later the British Prime Minister was overtaken with a bang by his legacy.

The London police will fine Johnson for the “Partygate” affair, a government spokeswoman said on Tuesday. It was not initially known how high the fine would be or whether there were several decisions. But it is now fundamentally clear what many have been saying for months anyway: The Prime Minister broke the law – and not only that, he violated the Corona rules he himself issued. All of a sudden, Johnson’s position began to falter again.

“The Met fired two rockets at Downing Street,” the Sky News broadcaster commented martially on the decision of the London Metropolitan Police (Met). In addition to Johnson and his wife Carrie Johnson, Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, who resides at 11 Downing Street, will also have to pay a fine.

The Metropolitan Police are investigating twelve events from 2020 and 2021. At that time, there were strict contact restrictions in the wake of the pandemic. Questionnaires had been sent to more than 100 government workers and employees, including Johnson and his wife, by the police. According to the police, a good 50 penalties have been issued so far. In most cases, it is said to be a fine of 50 pounds (60 euros).

Cancellation requests renewed

Now the opposition renewed their demands for his resignation. “Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak broke the law and repeatedly lied to the British people. You both have to resign,” tweeted Labor leader Keir Starmer.

His party friend David Lammy was even sharper: “Crime and lies at the heart of the government,” wrote the top politician.

Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon also called for Johnson’s departure.

“The fact that several senior government officials are being fined at the same time is completely unprecedented,” said domestic policy expert Jill Rutter of the BBC’s Institute for Government think tank. Author and political scientist Mark Garnett told the German Press Agency that Johnson’s critics now have all the evidence against him. But: “Johnson has always made it clear that he will not resign quietly, and he will use the war in Ukraine as an additional reason for staying in office.” Theoretically, Johnson could even challenge the penalty notice. But it is questionable whether a court date would improve his reputation.

The outrage among those who have lost family members and friends because of Corona is already immense. ‘You broke the law. But even worse, they fooled us all,” said Lobby Akinnola, a representative of the organization Covid Bereaved Families. It is “incredibly painful” to know that the powerful have been partying while they themselves have not been able to say goodbye to their loved ones.

“Serious questions for Number 10, Number 11 and the Conservatives,” commented BBC reporter Laura Kuenssberg. The Tories in particular are now facing a tricky decision – a few weeks before local elections in England, which are considered an important mood test.

Leadership failure and serious rule violations

As new “Partygate” scandals kept coming to light in the winter, Johnson’s departure seemed only a matter of time. An initial report by senior official Sue Gray attested to Downing Street’s leadership failure and serious rule violations. Tory MPs withdrew their approval from the prime minister almost every day – 54 votes are enough for an internal party vote of no confidence. But the situation changed completely with the Ukraine war. Even the harshest inner-party critics now backed Johnson.

So the question now is: how do the Tories feel about their prime minister? Will they oust the 57-year-old for committing an offense while in office? Or are they still holding on to the ex-London mayor and ex-foreign secretary because he is the only one who, as a politician close to the people, can get the voters involved? First statements by proven critics within the party indicate that Johnson may stay for the time being. A change in leadership during the Ukraine war would be fatal, they say. Johnson has lied and cheated before, his time at Downing Street has been riddled with scandals since taking office in the summer of 2019 – and yet the party has never distanced itself. But the local elections are likely to be the sticking point.

“The only certainty is that the Conservative Party is likely to suffer heavy losses in the local elections next month,” Garnett said. “The leadership issue will continue to damage the party until Mr. Johnson is either persuaded to resign or is forced into a vote of no confidence.” Other analysts are more skeptical. “Boris Johnson had more lives of a cat than any politician I know,” said political scientist Matthew Flinders from the University of Sheffield recently in an interview with the dpa. It would not be a surprise if Johnson survived this case as well.