Boris Johnson, his wife and his aides held a gathering at No 10 during a previously strict lockdown. He has recklessly denied breaking the rules and claimed it was a working meeting. A party probe is being done and its result could trigger more public backlash against the Conservative party.
Johnson Lies about No 10 Cheese, Wine Gathering
The parliament does not allow MPs to accuse each other of lying. But some MPs have accused PM Boris Johnson of piles of lies. The SNP Commons leader had already asked Boris Johnson if he was a liar because of several sleaze allegations. Such allegations have surrounded Boris Johnson and even some MPs called him a serial liar. Mismanaging the Covid lockdowns and experiments of a deadly pandemic angered his critics.
Spending a huge amount of money to refurbish his flat raised questions about the source of money. Recently he lied about a Christmas gathering during last year’s lockdown and said No 10 breached no rules. In a fresh claim, PM said new photos of his team at Downing Street was a working meeting. A so-called working meeting with wine, cheese, and pizza has infuriated PM’s critics.
The Government Separates Itself from the Public
Last week the Guardian revealed photos of a gathering at No 10 when the country was under lockdown in May. Prime minister and his wife, with a group of cabinet members are in groups at No 10 garden in May 2021. At the time, social mixing between households was limited to two persons. The government allowed people to meet outdoors with a two-meter distance.
On the same day, the health secretary was asking people to stick to the Covid rules at a press conference. The gathering of Johnson’s team was a slap in the face of the British public. People had to cancel meetings with their loved ones to follow the Covid rules that Johnson’s government set for all. Whereas the prime minister and members of No 10 had no respect for the rules they put in place.
Johnson’s Irresponsibility Damaged his Position
The No 10 spokesperson has claimed the garden photos show a work meeting and there was no breaking of rules. No 10 added that the meeting was a debriefing after the press conference. No 10 claimed that work meetings often take place in the Downing Street garden in the summer months. But in May 2021, the government announced in-person work meetings should take place if absolutely necessary. So holding a meeting with Johnson’s wife around a table with wine seemed not much necessary. At that time all schools and pubs and restaurants were closed all round the country. The government’s irresponsibility during the strict lockdowns of late 2020 and Spring of 2021 has damaged the public trust. When the government imposes rules on the rest of the people it must abide by it at the first place.
The Conservative’s Popularity Dropped
Boris Jonson has tried to conceal the sleazes, however, people punished the party. In a by-election after the exposure of one gathering, the conservative party lost a safe seat. The Conservative had held the seat in North Shropshire for nearly 200 years. This is a historic defeat for the Conservatives which happened under Johnson and could be repeated on future occasions. A YouGov poll conducted for The Times found that PM’s approval ratings are similar to Theresa May, before she resigned. Currently, the Conservative party is at its lowest ratings since Johnson took office. The survey found that the Labour party enjoys a six-point lead ahead of the Conservative party. The poll by YouGov found that 71 percent of people believed that Johnson was doing badly in his job as the prime minister.
The Conservatives Fear for Their Future
People endured loneliness and missed their dear ones, while the officials mocked lockdowns and chatted around a board of cheese. The Conservative party’s recklessness annoyed many people who in the first reaction withdrew their votes to the Conservatives. Johnson lied about breaking and such irresponsibility could be followed by no-confidence votes from his own party.
Some MPs see the Shropshire result a warning to the Conservative party and fear for their own future. Boris Johnson’s power over his party is at a more insecure place now. The Conservative backbenchers could submit secret letters to trigger a no-confidence vote. Throughout Johnson’s premiership a chaotic series of events happened which raised oppositions inside and outside his party. Those events could lead to a bigger public backlash against the UK Conservative government.
Investigations Could Be in Favor of Johnson
After the series of party scandals, the UK’s top civil servant Simon Case started an investigation to probe whether their gatherings broke lockdown rules. However, Case who started the parties’ investigation stood down and Sue Gray started the investigation. She is a veteran Whitehall ethics chief and she has not given a date for finishing the report yet. The PM has consistently denied any wrong doing and this party probe could cover No 10 garden gathering. Several Conservative MPs have said they feared that the government’s credibility had been undermined. Johnson and his aides could be found guilty of breaching Covid rules and lying. Such outcome could put Johnson and his close allies’ future into trouble. Nonetheless, the result could be in favor of Johnson without a direct implication of his name to save his party.
Conclusion
The exposure of Johnson’s staff Christmas party and his No 10 gathering, have raised several questions about the government’s honesty. The public may wonder whether the government could breach other rules, and exempts itself from the rest of the society. People ask why at a time when the government was instructing them to keep staying at home, PM and his staff gathered at No 10.
Although Johnson resolutely said they had a work meeting, there were no sign of work at that gathering. The opposition Labour party leader emphasized that the PM did not take the restrictions seriously. The SNP has urged the government to tell the truth and called for a fresh judge-led inquiry into Westminster’s gatherings. Johnson’s inability to handle the situation and to honestly tell the truth has created crisis. There has been a party investigation to probe about gatherings held by the Conservatives during the national lockdowns. A delayed report could conclude that the government broke the rules but it was not a criminal wrongdoing. In any case, Johnson’s irresponsible leadership has damaged the Conservative party that could lose many parliamentary seats in the future.
