LONDON (AP) – Prime Minister Boris Johnson stands before British lawmakers on Tuesday for the first time since he was fined by police for attending a birthday party at his office in breach of coronavirus lockdown rules.
As the House of Commons returns from an 11-day Easter break, Johnson is expected to apologize for a minor slip – but the opposition is rejecting the resignation for flouting the restrictions he has imposed on the country during the pandemic.
Johnson and his allies argue that it would be wrong to change leadership as Britain grapples with crises such as the war in Ukraine and pressure on the cost of living from rising energy and commodity prices.
Johnson and his Conservative government have faced mounting outrage since allegations surfaced late last year that he and his staff held office parties in 2020 and 2021, when millions across the country were prevented from meeting with friends and family — or even at attending funerals for their loved ones.
Johnson was fined £50 ($66) last week for attending his own surprise birthday party at Downing Street in June 2020. The penalty made Johnson the first British prime minister ever to break the law during his tenure.
The fine followed a police and civil service inquiry into the “Partygate” scandal. Johnson tried to deflect questions by first saying there were no parties and then insisting he believed no rules were being broken.
Opposition politicians have accused Johnson of misleading Parliament, which is usually a resignation offense.
Cabinet Secretary Brandon Lewis insisted Johnson was not a liar and had always said “what he believes to be the truth”.
“What he said to Parliament he believed to be true at the time,” Lewis said.
Johnson’s rise to power appeared to be on the brink earlier this year because of the scandal and the departure of several top aides. Allies feared “Partygate” could become a turning point for a leader who has weathered a string of other storms over his spending and moral judgment. Some Conservative lawmakers openly called for a vote of no confidence in their leader.
But Johnson has persevered, in part because Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has diverted public and political attention.
Johnson’s international image, tarnished by Britain’s chaotic exit from the European Union under his leadership, was revived by his firm military, political and moral support for Ukraine. Johnson traveled to Kyiv earlier this month to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Johnson could face more fines. London’s Metropolitan Police are investigating a dozen events, including “bring your own boze” office parties and “wine time Fridays,” organized by Johnson’s staff. At least 50 tickets have been issued so far, including those to Johnson, his wife Carrie and chief financial officer Rishi Sunak.
Should Johnson be sanctioned again, calls for a no-confidence vote among Conservatives could increase. For now, Conservative lawmaker Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said his peers would “withhold their judgment and see what happens.”
But his colleague Tobias Ellwood, chair of the Commons Defense Committee, said the government “should not use the fig leaf of our engagement in Ukraine to say in any way that this is not the right time to address these difficult challenges.”
He said the party should hold a vote of no confidence to see if “the PM has support and we move forward or it’s time for change”.