Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak have reportedly been informed they will be fined by London’s Metropolitan Police over the parties held during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
The police will reportedly fine the two for breaking COVID-19 rules in connection to gatherings that took place on government properties, according to statements made to CNN by a Downing Street spokesperson. Over 50 fines have been issued as part of The Met’s ongoing investigations into parties and gatherings held at Downing Street and Whitehall during lockdowns, the police said, the outlet reported Tuesday.
All of the parties allegedly took place while the rest of the U.K. lived under strict COVID-19 restrictions and sparked national outrage when they came to light, CNN reported. (RELATED: Saudi Comedians Roast Biden And Harris Like ‘SNL’ Never Would)
Johnson’s wife, Carrie Johnson, will be given a fixed penalty notice as well, according to the BBC. There are currently no exact details on which gathering Johnson and Sunak’s fines will be connected to, though police have previously said they were investigating at least 12 events, the outlet reported. Johnson, his wife and Sunak allegedly attended the same party for Johnson’s birthday in June 2020, the BBC reported.
Several members of British leadership have called for Johnson and Sunak to resign, the BBC reported. “A Prime Minister who breaks the laws his Government makes and then lies about it isn’t fit for office,” London Mayor Sadiq Khan said, according to CNN. “Families made huge sacrifices and obeyed the law. Many said their last goodbyes to loved ones on the phone while the Prime Minister partied.”
They broke the law.
The law they wrote.
The law everyone else made big sacrifices to follow.
Then they lied about it.
To the public & Parliament.
Their job is to show leadership in upholding the law & standards in public life.
Boris Johnson & Rishi Sunak must resign. pic.twitter.com/Oi14RbGhq1
— Yvette Cooper (@YvetteCooperMP) April 12, 2022
Johnson apologized in January for attending a “bring your own booze” event at his official residence in 2020, saying that he was only there for 25 minutes and believed it to be a work event.
Lobby Akinnola, spokesperson for COVID Bereaved Families, said it was “incredibly painful” to know that high-ranking British politicians attended gatherings while while British citizens were unable to be next to their dying loved ones, the BBC noted.