In the wake of the recent Partygate scandal that has sent shockwaves through British politics, the Labour Party is seizing an opportunity to gain momentum. As Conservatives grapple with the fallout and face mounting criticism, a key development in this political saga emerges: the UK Parliamentary Inquiry Committee.
This committee holds immense significance as it aims to shed light on the alleged rule-breaking parties hosted by senior Conservative officials during lockdowns.
With all eyes on this investigation, its findings could shape not only public perception but also determine the future course of British politics. In this article, we delve into how this inquiry is impacting both major parties and explore the potential implications for their electoral prospects moving forward.
Reduce positive views of Rishi Sunak
The UK Parliamentary Inquiry Committee’s recent report on the Partygate scandal has intensified the already substantial damage to the government’s reputation, significantly impacting its credibility. This comes at a time when the Prime Minister’s leadership is viewed favorably by only 27% of British people, while a majority of 61% believe he is not the right choice to lead the government.
The deep-rooted economic and financial challenges in the country have already severely undermined the UK government’s credibility and greatly diminished the ruling Conservative Party’s chances of success in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
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British People’s Choice for Keir Starmer for the Prime Minister
A YouGov poll earlier last week showed that 57% of Britons believe Sunak failed to handle the Partygate scandal well. On the other hand, the popularity of Keir Starmer, the leader of the opposition party to the government, has been increasing during this period, and according to the findings of YouGov, 36% of the British people consider him an excellent choice to lead the government. In a more general assessment, 40% of the British people support the Labor Party. This is while the popularity of the conservative ruling party has been reported to decrease by 19% by 4%.
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Report of the UK Parliamentary Inquiry Committee on Boris Johnson
The recent publication of survey results coincides with a comprehensive report by the UK Parliamentary Inquiry Committee, spanning over 40,000 words. The report delivers a resolute message, accusing former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson of intentionally misleading both Parliament and the public regarding the unlawful parties held during the height of Covid-19 restrictions, famously known as Partygate. The origins of the Partygate scandal can be traced back to a contentious article published by the Daily Mail in November 2021. According to this report, the office of the Prime Minister organized a party and non-work-related celebrations amidst the second wave of Covid-19 restrictions, disregarding the prohibition of non-work gatherings in enclosed spaces.
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Boris Johnson fined for violating Covid-19 Restrictions
After disclosing this report, Johnson apologized to the public and agreed to conduct an independent investigation. Based on this, the research project was assigned to Mrs Sue Gray. Shortly after, the Metropolitan Police launched a separate independent investigation into breaches of Covid-19 restrictions at the Prime Minister’s Office, resulting in Johnson being found guilty and fined. Gray’s initial investigation report was released on January 31, 2022, and her final report was released on May 2022. In this report, several incidents, including excessive drinking of alcohol and lack of respect for cleaning and security staff, are evident. She concluded that the country’s top political official, “The senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, must bear responsibility for this culture.”
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Boris Johnson’s resignation following the Partygate scandal
Following the publication of these reports, public resentment against Johnson intensified. On April 21, 2022, MPs referred the report of Johnson’s accusations to the special UK Parliamentary Inquiry Committee, and these developments reduced the public’s trust in the then-prime minister. Johnson was finally forced to resign on July 7, 2022, following the resignation of 50 cabinet members. Three months ago, he appeared before the Special Investigation Committee of the Parliament to present his defence. The former Prime Minister of the UK claimed that his violations amid the Covid-19 epidemic were unintentional and that he accepts full responsibility for this scandal.
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Violation of British democratic principles by Boris Johnson
But last week’s report states that Johnson misled the Parliament, distorted the committee’s investigation process, and undermined the country’s democratic principles. The statement added that Johnson had committed a grave insult by deliberately misleading Parliament. The UK Parliamentary Inquiry Committee has described the offence committed by a prime minister as the highest-ranking government member as a more severe insult that has never been seen in the past.
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Condemnation of Boris Johnson by members of the UK House of Commons
The members of the UK House of Commons also voted in favour of this report in an unprecedented action and condemned the former prime minister of this country; in this way, a former Prime Minister of the UK was accused of fraud for the first time in the modern history of this country. Johnson’s permission to enter the parliament building was revoked based on the vote. If he had not resigned as a representative of the Parliament, he would have been banned from participating in the meetings of the legislative body for 90 days.
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Reducing Rishi Sunak’s chances of winning next year’s election
Although Sunak is trying to distance the government from the negative consequences of this scandal, observers believe that this issue, along with the series of economic problems in the country, has reduced the chances of the ruling party’s victory in next year’s elections. The date of the British general election has yet to be announced, but according to the usual procedures, it is likely to be held in May or October 2024.
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High chance of victory of the Labour Party in the next election
New polls in the UK show that the Labour Party will win 35% of the votes in the next parliamentary elections in this country. At the same time, the Conservative Party, which is currently in charge, only managed to win 23% of the votes. This means that at the next election in January 2025, Labor could have 470 MPs in the UK House of Commons and remove the majority from the Conservatives. This figure is currently 123 seats. Statistical data shows that although the Labor Party can win more seats than its conservative rival, this party will still be unable to win a majority of seats in the Parliament and will be forced to form a coalition government.
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Declining public trust in conservatives
Although the government in the UK is a monarchy according to the constitution, in the practice of the parliamentary system, it is considered the highest executive power of the country. The conservative party, which is regarded as the ruling party in this country, has been struggling with many problems in recent years, including the withdrawal of the UK from the EU and its consequences, which has caused the change of 4 prime ministers and the emergence of many economic problems in this country. This has led to a decrease in public approval of the ruling party and an increase in the popularity of the Labor Party.
