Boris Johnson

Mr Johnson looked set to avoid an initial fallout from becoming the first prime minister to be hit with criminal sanctions while in office over a law-breaking ...

“The prime minister is on record saying to parliament that all the rules were observed and there were no parties – that’s obviously not the case.” And that makes him more human to a lot of people”. Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, who recently withdrew his letter of no-confidence on Mr Johnson, said it was not the time for a leadership challenge. He said “history would not forgive us” if the PM was replaced during an international crisis. The backbencher said: “I have two comments on that. Mr Mills, MP for Amber Valley, said people were “rightly angry” over parties.

Nigel Mills said Boris Johnson's position is not 'tenable' after he was fined by police - adding the Ukraine crisis could last for 'a very long time' so was ...

But he told LBC one police fine was not grounds for resignation in itself. Asked if he should resign, Mr Mills told BBC Radio Derby: “In all conscience I don’t think a prime minister can survive or should survive breaking the rules he put in place and he was on the TV every few nights reminding us all that we should observe. But one of them, Nigel Mills, said people were “rightly angry” that the Prime Minister did not have the “decency or sense” to follow his own Covid rules while they did.

The Prime Minister has faced renewed calls to resign after being fined for breaching coronavirus laws, but what does the Ministerial Code say?

There are certain sections of the code the Prime Minister has been accused of breeching. “However, Ministers only remain in office for so long as they retain the confidence of the Prime Minister. He is the ultimate judge of the standards of behaviour expected of a Minister and the appropriate consequences of a breach of those standards.” The official line from the code says: “Ministers are personally responsible for deciding how to act and conduct themselves in the light of the Code and for justifying their actions and conduct to Parliament and the public. Mr Johnson’s fine relates to a gathering celebrating his birthday. The Code states ministers are expected to “maintain high standards of behaviour” and should “behave in a way that upholds the highest standards of propriety”. The Ministerial Code is a document laying out what is required of all “Ministers of the Crown” and how they are expected to conduct themselves.

Matthew Flinders, founding director of the Sir Bernard Crick Centre for the Public Understanding of Politics at the University of Sheffield, on Boris ...

At the end of the day, ousting the prime minister would require a large number of Tory backbenchers to rebel and support a vote of no confidence in him. Denial will come in the form of promoting a sense of confusion around whether the fines relate to rules, laws or regulations. The key question is whether on all of those occasions when the prime minister has previously denied that any rules were broken he was knowingly misleading parliament. This document sets out various expectations about the conduct of government ministers when in office, including – crucially in this case – the expectation that any minister who knowingly misleads parliament will be expected to resign. The announcement that the prime minister is among dozens of people being fined removes that defensive shield, however. Ever since news first broke of government staff partying during the darkest moments of the pandemic, Johnson has consistently refused to admit that the law was broken.

The fine makes Mr Johnson the first sitting British Prime Minister to have broken the law.

A No 10 spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have today received notification that the Metropolitan Police intend to issue them with fixed penalty notices. Last month the Met announced more than 20 fixed penalty notices were handed out. “It’s serious of course,” he said. 13 November 2020: Gathering in Downing Street to mark the departure of Dominic Cummings. Mr Sunak is understood to have attended the Prime Minister’s birthday gathering in June 2020, which was held in the Cabinet room and was attended by about 30 people. 18 June 2020: Previously unknown Cabinet Office gathering to mark the departure of No 10 private secretary. Mrs Johnson and interior designer Lulu Lytle, who was renovating the Johnsons’ flat at the time, are said to have presented the Prime Minister with a cake after he returned from a visit to a school in Hertfordshire. - 17 December 2020: He is understood to have briefly attended a gathering to mark the departure of Captain Steve Higham from his role as one of Mr Johnson’s private secretaries. - 13 November 2020: The PM is alleged to have given a speech at a leaving do for No 10’s director of communications Lee Cain. Indeed one MP, Sir Roger Gale – the first Tory MP to publicly confirm sending a letter of no confidence in Mr Johnson – has suggested the Prime Minister will continue to have his support while the war is ongoing. Mr Johnson is understood to have attended as many as six of the events under scrutiny, while the Chancellor was accused of attending one – a party to celebrate Mr Johnson’s birthday. Meanwhile the Lib Dems have urged the Government to recall Parliament, as it is currently in Easter recess, for a vote of no confidence to take place.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his finance minister Rishi Sunak have been told they will be fined by police over lockdown-breaking parties held on UK ...

"Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have broken the law and repeatedly lied to the British public. According to ministerial rules, if a government minister breaches the ministerial code, it is expected that they should resign from their job. The Prime Minister initially rebuffed allegations of illegal gatherings by saying there were no parties. Revelations that the Prime Minister attended several parties had already prompted furious calls for him to resign even before Tuesday's announcement of a police fine. The police fines are confirmation that Johnson and Sunak broke Covid-19 laws created by their own government -- even though the Prime Minister previously denied some parties were held and insisted all guidance was followed. Revelations of the parties sparked national outrage.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will receive a police fine for breaching his own Covid-19 lockdown rules, Johnson's office said Tuesday.

It is unclear which event Johnson and Sunak will receive fines for attending, although Johnson apologized in January for attending a "bring your own booze" party at Downing Street in May 2020, when gatherings were illegal. Some people have been fined several thousand pounds and appeared in court for organizing or attending parties while the government's severe restrictions were in place. Johnson will be spared the wrath of Parliament for the time being, however.

PM, chancellor and Carrie Johnson to receive fixed-penalty notices for attending illegal gathering.

About 20-30 MPs were at one point thought to have submitted letters of no confidence in the prime minister, with 54 needed to trigger a leadership challenge. A No 10 spokesperson said: “The prime minister and chancellor of the Exchequer have today received notification that the Metropolitan police intend to issue them with fixed penalty notices. They are believed to be the first prime minister and chancellor to have broken the law while in office. The basic values of integrity and decency - essential to the proper working of any parliamentary democracy - demand that he go. Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish first minister and SNP leader, also called for the prime minister to quit. The Labour leader, Keir Starmer, called on Johnson and Sunak to resign.

Faced with the threat from Putin, the Prime Minister should stay in place as the European Continent has been plunged into such a horrific conflict.

Not only has the Chancellor been caught up in a huge row over his family’s tax matters, he has also been slapped with a Met fine for breaking Covid regulations. With Rishi Sunak’s meteoric political rise now having gone into a nosedive, who would replace Mr Johnson if he was forced out. Exhibit No1: At least one Metropolitan Police fine showing Mr Johnson broke the law by partying in Downing Street while Britain was in lockdown or under other Covid restrictions. He has won praise from Mr Zelensky. Summing up the case for the prosecution, it is a damning and unprecedented indictment of a serving Prime Minister who faces accusations, which he will almost certainly deny, that he knowingly misled Parliament over the scandal. and learned Gentleman is that all guidance was followed completely in No10.”

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Finance Minister Rishi Sunak are to be fined by police for breaching Covid-19 lockdown laws, the government said ...

Johnson and Sunak "have today received notification that the Metropolitan Police intend to issue them with fixed penalty notices," a spokesperson at Downing Street said in a statement. "Our joint focus remains on supporting President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom," Johnson said. The police fines for Johnson and Sunak come as U.K. lawmakers observe a parliamentary recess for the Easter break. Not a single serving Cabinet minister has voiced their support for Johnson since it was confirmed he had received a fixed penalty notice. Sunak, too, has come under pressure in recent weeks. People are angry and upset.

The Prime Minister and Chancellor will be issued with fixed penalty notices.

Scotland Yard won't name those fined, but Downing Street had previously said it would name Mr Johnson if he has to pay one. Sir Keir said: “Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have broken the law and repeatedly lied to the British public. Downing Street has confirmed both Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak are among those being issued with fixed penalty notices following allegations of lockdown parties in Downing Street and Whitehall.

The prime minister and chancellor have been given fixed penalty notices for their attendance of lockdown-busting parties. Could they be sacked?

Ministers are expected “to behave in a way that upholds the highest standards of propriety.” This is hard to square with receiving a fine levied for breaking the law while you were a minister. Incidentally, the foreword to the code was written by Johnson himself. Under the ministerial code, “ministers have a duty to Parliament to account, and be held to account” for their “actions”. In particular, “it is of paramount importance that ministers give accurate and truthful information to Parliament, correcting any inadvertent error at the earliest opportunity”.

The PM faces a fine for attending his birthday party during the first national Covid lockdown.

Both may choose to wait for Sue Gray to publish the findings of her report in full for the final word on the "partygate" saga. But while Mr Ross called Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak's behaviour "unacceptable", he said removing them during the war in Ukraine "would destabilise the UK government when we need to be united in the face of Russian aggression". However, he was reported to be at the same gathering for the PM's birthday - said to have been attended by 30 people. Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross - who at one stage had called for the PM's resignation over the parties - also said "it wouldn't be right" for Mr Johnson to go while there was war in Ukraine. Mrs Johnson's spokesperson confirmed she had received and paid a fine - understood to be £50 - for attending the birthday gathering. Boris Johnson will be fined by the police for attending a birthday party thrown for him during a Covid lockdown.

Police tell Downing Street they plan to fine both the British prime minister and chancellor.

The leader of the opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, said both Johnson and Sunak should resign. He was also alleged to have attended the so-called “bring your own booze” garden drinks on May 20, 2020. “The prime minister and chancellor of the exchequer have today received notification that the Metropolitan Police intend to issue them with fixed penalty notices.

Mr Johnson, his wife Carrie and Chancellor Rishi Sunak were notified they will be issued with fines for breaking lockdown rules.

The British leader's office says he will be fined for breaching COVID regulations following allegations of lockdown parties at government offices.

She said "failures of leadership and judgment" in Johnson's government allowed events to occur that should not have happened. "The Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have today received notification that the Metropolitan police intend to issue them with fixed penalty notices," a spokesperson for Johnson's office said. Police say they have sent questionnaires to more than 100 people, including the prime minister, and interviewed witnesses as part of the investigation.

Hertsmere's MP says that he is “fully behind” Boris Johnson after he was fined for breaching Covid restrictions at a Downing Street party.

Their positions are untenable, they must both now resign." At a time when we face an energy crisis and conflict in Ukraine, I’m fully behind him in getting on with the job. “At a time when we face an energy crisis and conflict in Ukraine, I’m fully behind him in getting on with the job.”

A Scots woman who led a campaign for care home visiting rights has voiced her anger after the Prime Minister was fined for breaching Covid rules…

Mr Johnson's wife Carrie has also been fined and the Met confirmed 50 fines have been issued so far in relation to events that took place across Whitehall during lockdown. "What I would have given in June 2020 for a get together and a sing song with my mother - yet here were the people leading the UK response to the pandemic partying." A Scots woman who led a campaign for care home visiting rights has voiced her anger after the Prime Minister was fined for breaching Covid rules saying, "What I would have given for a get together and a sing song with my mother."

The Prime Minister has rejected calls for him to resign after being hit with 'Partygate' FPN.

And I accept in all sincerity, that people have the right to expect better…” Of the gathering on 19 June he said: “In all frankness at the time it did not occur to me that this might have been a breach of the rules. Mr Johnson, his wife and Mr Sunak all received a fixed penalty notice for attending a birthday gathering on 19 June for the Prime Minister at No 10.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak and the PM's wife, Carrie Johnson, were also fined for attending the “impromptu” party for the Prime Minister's birthday on 19 June 2020, ...

While she believed that she was acting in accordance with the rules at the time, Mrs Johnson accepts the Metropolitan Police Service’s findings and apologises unreservedly.” It’s a lot of officials working with hundreds and hundreds of officials. Ms Lytle was working on refurbishments to the No 10 flat at the time. A spokesperson for Mrs Johnson said: “Mrs Johnson has paid a Fixed Penalty Notice relating to a gathering on the afternoon of 19 June 2020. Mr Johnson said his previous responses, including to Parliament when he said that no rules had been broken in No 10, had been “in completely good faith” and insisted he was “standing up for nine minutes in the Cabinet Room where I work every day”. It raises the possibility that Mr Johnson could be slapped with further fines.

Lord David Wolfson, a Conservative peer and justice minister has resigned over Prime Minister's “own conduct” in a letter to Boris Johnson…

“I know people sacrificed a great deal during Covid, and they will find this situation upsetting. I respect the decision that has been made and have paid the fine. “I regret that recent disclosures lead to the inevitable conclusion that there was repeated rule-breaking, and breaches of the criminal law, in Downing Street.

Calls for resignation of PM and chancellor from Labour and relatives of Covid victims.

Penalties for Covid breaches were set at £100 at the highpoint of the pandemic, but could be doubled with subsequent offences up to a maximum of £6,400. It is the only event which he attended out of the 12 under investigation by the Met’s Operation Hillman. Sir Keir said: “The British public made the most unimaginable, heart-wrenching sacrifices, and many were overcome by guilt. “The fact that Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak then lied about it, and would have continued to do so if the police hadn’t intervened, is truly shameless,” he said. He then broke the rules he imposed on the country and lost the moral authority to lead. Britain deserves better, they have to go.” The fines are among at least 30 imposed over the past fortnight and announced today by the Metropolitan Police, bringing the total number of penalties in relation to lockdown-breaching parties in Downing Street and Whitehall to more than 50. We need to be united in our resolve and move forward under his leadership.” Police said they were continuing to assess “significant amounts of investigative material” which could lead to further fines. We now know that that was a lie. But even worse, they took us all for mugs. Mrs Johnson is also facing a fine, a spokesperson confirmed.

The British leader's office says he will be fined for breaching COVID regulations following allegations of lockdown parties at government offices.

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The police have issued the prime minister with a fixed penalty notice for breaking his own Covid laws.

If Johnson loses the no confidence vote then a leadership contest is triggered. In the 2019 leadership race this took roughly two weeks. But Sunak has also been fined by police for breaking Covid rules. If the prime minister breaks the law, then consequences must flow.” When it was first revealed rules had been broken at the top of government, Johnson came under intense pressure from some Tory MPs to quit. Only Brady knows how many letters he has received. But if he does, then all bets are off. The first stage sees Tory MPs vote in a series of rounds, whittling the list of candidates down to a final two. The second stage sees the final two candidates go to a vote of Tory members. But Johnson has repeatedly insisted no rules were broken. One Tory MP told HuffPost: “If he doesn’t get fined, he’s got away with it. Based on the current size of the party in the Commons, this means 54 Tory MPs have to get out their pens.

The Met police confirmed Mr Johnson was fined for his participation in a gathering in the Cabinet Room on his birthday on June 19 2020, No 10 said.

I respect the decision that has been made and have paid the fine. “And I have to say, in all frankness, at that time it did not occur to me that this might have been a breach of the rules. I deeply regret the frustration and anger caused and I am sorry. “I know people sacrificed a great deal during Covid, and they will find this situation upsetting. In a spirit of openness and humility I want to be clear about what happened on that date. The Prime Minister said he offered his “full apology” and he has paid a fixed penalty notice relating to a gathering in the Cabinet Room on his birthday on June 19 in 2020.

The Prime Minister, chancellor and Carrie Johnson have been given fixed-penalty notices for attending a number 10 lockdown party.

Is this a resigning matter? His likely rival Rishi Sunak has had a terrible few weeks. The key point is not that Boris Johnson received a penalty notice.

The former Conservative minister Edwina Currie told ITV's Good Morning Britain earlier that she did not care if Boris Johnson broke the ministerial code by ...

Boris Johnson has now been fined for breaking the Covid lockdown rules that he drew up and ordered the nation to obey, but Conservative MPs are happy for him to remain as prime minister - at least for now. Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, and one of the best media performers in the cabinet, has had the awkward job of defending Johnson on the media this morning. Parliament is not sitting, and many MPs are on holiday, but there is a campaign event in Scotland where Ruth Davidson, the former Scottish Tory leader, and Douglas Ross, the current one, are appearing together. I try to monitor the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. In January he said that, if Johnson were shown to have attended a party in breach of lockdown rules, he would have to resign. Johnson has not accepted that that he intentionally misled parliament on the many occasions that he told MPs there were no parties at No 10, or that the rules were always followed. Douglas Ross, the Scottish Conservative leader, told BBC Radio Scotland this morning that he thought Boris Johnson told the truth. The question is did someone set out to do these things with malice and overall is he doing a good job as prime minister? But many of Mills’ colleagues who were saying similar things at the start of the Partygate scandal are now saying the Ukraine war has changed their thinking. When pressed, Shapps said it was for the police to decide if parties took place. Shapps, the transport secretary, refused to confirm that parties took place at Downing Street in breach of lockdown rules. What you would get is leadership that could concentrate on the job in hand.

The British PM has apologized for the rule breach — how that goes down with his own MPs will determine his fate.

There are two ways he could subject himself to this, both used by former Conservative prime ministers feeling the heat. Others pointed out that, despite Sunak’s apparent interest in taking the top job, he has not cultivated a strong following in the parliamentary party and that this will make it even harder for him to come back. No new vote can then be triggered for 12 months, meaning the whole process could (temporarily, at least) shore up his position. It would also likely mean the end of Sunak’s leadership ambitions, since it would imply he doesn’t think a law-breaker can be prime minister. This can be done privately — so it is impossible to know how near a vote we might be. This, combined with long-standing policy tensions between the chancellor and the PM, had already prompted some speculation he could decide to quit politics altogether. With politics in uncharted waters it’s by no means clear what happens now in the Partygate scandal, but here are some possible scenarios. One route open to Johnson is to call a confidence vote in himself, in a bid to draw a line under the whole sorry episode. Much will depend on how his apology plays with that vital constituency. If a vote does then go ahead, Johnson only needs the support of a simple majority of his own MPs (more than 50 percent) to stay on as leader and prime minister. Johnson’s wife Carrie has also been notified that she will receive a fine. A Conservative leader can only be challenged if enough of his own MPs express no confidence in him (more on that below). Earlier in the year, a confidence ballot seemed a real possibility, with 12 MPs on the record as having called for Johnson to go.

The prime minister attended his own birthday party in the Cabinet room in Downing Street in June 2020, when the rest of the country was under coronavirus ...

Mr Sunak apologised, saying: "I know people sacrificed a great deal during COVID, and they will find this situation upsetting. There is also the matter of Sue Gray's report. A spokesperson for Mrs Johnson said: "While she believed that she was acting in accordance with the rules at the time, Mrs Johnson accepts the Metropolitan Police's findings and apologises unreservedly." On Tuesday, Mr Johnson offered a "full apology", but when asked if he would quit, he added: "I want to be able to get on and deliver the mandate that I have, but also to tackle the problems that the country must face right now." "But I think there's a big job for him to get on and do - on behalf of the British people and on behalf of the world fighting this cruel war." She added: "I think there is a moral question mark over the integrity and the trust that can be placed in the people at the top."

The shameless Prime Minister apologised for attending the event on 19 June 2020, which has led to fines for Mr Johnson, his wife Carrie and Chancellor Rishi ...

PM is at his best when delivering on the priorities of the British people which he will continue to do." But he refused to resign, saying he felt a "greater sense of obligation" to deliver for the public. Mr Johnson broke cover after the bombshell news that he had become the first sitting Prime Minister to break the law. He described it as an occasion for "people I work with" to pass on their good wishes - and said he didn't realise at the time that the party broke the rules. Mr Johnson said: "Of course the police have found otherwise and I fully respect the outcome of their investigation. The "brief gathering" in the Cabinet Room at around 2pm on his birthday lasted "less than 10 minutes, Mr Johnson said.