London: Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and the PM’s wife Carrie Johnson are to be fined by the police for breaking lockdown laws, BBC reported on Tuesday.
The three have been sent notification from the Metropolitan Police stating that they would be given fixed penalty notices.
The Met is investigating alleged breaking of Covid rules by organising as many as 12 gatherings in Whitehall and Downing Street. So far, more than 50 fines have been handed out in this regard.
The police have refused to disclose the names of those who have received the fine, but the government had promised to reveal if Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak were among them. A No 10 spokesman said they had not been informed which event the fine was linked to.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer demanded both Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak’s resignation, stating that the Conservatives were “totally unfit to govern”, adding: “Britain deserves better”.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for Parliament – which is currently on its Easter recess – to be recalled to hold a no confidence vote in the prime minister.
Reports of parties being held in Downing Street during Covid lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 first emerged in December last year. Prime Minister Johnson initially insisted that “guidelines were followed at all times”, but as information about more and more gatherings came out in the open, he faced further questions about his involvement.
The PM later apologised for attending a drinks party in the Downing Street garden, but told Parliament he believed he had been attending a work event and ordered an inquiry into the allegations of rule-breaking, led by senior civil servant Sue Gray.
The Met initially said it would not investigate the allegations but changed its mind when Ms Gray passed information to officers. Ms Gray’s interim report was released, stating there had been a “failure of leadership” in Downing Street.Â
