Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Johnson vows changes after lockdown parties report condemns UK leadership failures

Johnson vows changes after lockdown parties report condemns UK leadership failures

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced renewed calls to resign on Monday after a report found that alcohol-fuelled events at his offices and residence when COVID-19 lockdown rules were in force should never have taken place.

The report by senior civil servant Sue Gray into the lockdown gatherings, which occurred when Britons were all but banned from social mixing under coronavirus restrictions, pointed to "serious failures of leadership" at the heart of the British government.

She condemned some of the behaviour in government as being "difficult to justify", saying "the excessive consumption of alcohol is not appropriate in a professional workplace at any time".

"Some of the events should not have been allowed to take place," she said. "Other events should not have been allowed to develop as they did."

However, Gray said she could only detail four of 16 events in question because of concerns about prejudicing a separate police investigation, which involves detectives looking into parties including one in Johnson's apartment above his office.

Johnson's office said Gray would be asked to update her report once the police investigation concluded and it would be published.

The saga has become the gravest threat to Johnson's premiership, already under scrutiny for a series of scandals and his handling of the COVID-19 response. Opposition politicians and some members of his own Conservative Party have called on him to resign.

Johnson made a statement and answered questions for almost two hours in parliament on Monday afternoon following the report's publication. He apologised again and pledged to make changes at his office.

"I want to say sorry. I get it and I will fix it," he said in a raucous debate, when he was challenged by some Conservative lawmakers.

One, Aaron Bell, fought back tears as he recounted the funeral held for his grandmother during the COVID lockdown.

"She was a wonderful woman ... I drove for three hours ... only 10 people at the funeral. Many people who loved her had to watch online. I didn't hug my siblings. I didn’t hug my parents," he said. "Does the prime minister think I am a fool?"

PROMISING CHANGE


Johnson later apologised personally to Conservative lawmakers at a meeting in parliament. He promised to make changes not only to his team but to the way he engages with his party, seeking to win over some who had threatened to try to oust him.

His words were met with a handful of cheers, and some supporters said the threat of a confidence vote had waned.

But Britain's opposition politicians showed little sympathy.

Keir Starmer, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, accused Johnson of blaming everyone else but himself.

"There can be no doubt that the prime minister himself is now subject to criminal investigation," Starmer told parliament.

The leader of the Scottish National Party, Ian Blackford, was forced to leave the House of Commons after accusing Johnson of misleading parliament, an offence for which the prime minister would be expected to resign.

A snap opinion poll of just over 1,000 British adults by Opinium found that 62% now wanted Johnson to resign with 83% thinking he had broken the lockdown rules.

Gray's report looked into what has become weeks of a steady drip of stories about events in Downing Street during the lockdown, with reports of aides stuffing a suitcase full of alcohol and dancing until the early hours.

The police investigation could take months. The officer in charge said detectives were looking at 500 pieces of paper and more than 300 photographs. S8N2U000S

"At least some of the gatherings in question represent a serious failure to observe not just the high standards expected of those working at the heart of government but also of the standards expected of the entire British population at the time," the report said.

"Against the backdrop of the pandemic, when the Government was asking citizens to accept far-reaching restrictions on their lives, some of the behaviour surrounding these gatherings is difficult to justify," it said.

Johnson's spokesman said, "Steps will be taken to ensure every government department has a clear robust policy in place covering the consumption of alcohol in the workplace".

JOHNSON REJECTS CALLS TO QUIT


The prime minister's spokesman has said Johnson does not believe he broke the law and the prime minister has repeatedly rejected calls to quit.

The alleged parties are the latest in a series of scandals to tarnish Johnson, who has come under fire over the funding of a pricey flat refurbishment, allegedly prioritising the evacuation of animals from Afghanistan and the awarding of COVID-19 contracts.

But the limited report may hand Johnson and his supporters more time to try to persuade colleagues not to trigger a confidence vote in him.

It might not be easy. One Conservative lawmaker said he no longer supported him and several others were openly hostile.

"The backbenchers of the Conservative Party need no reminders about how to dispose of a failing leader," said Conservative lawmaker Bernard Jenkin.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
×