British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in a bit of a boil! Drawing flak for the Partygate scandal, the controversy seeking PM and his cabinet has come under much scrutiny, with rival politicians and the wider public up-in-arms at their indiscretions. With 16 gatherings under the scanner- held within the premises of 10 Downing Street- the incumbent Conservative Party has been forced into a corner. Matters have only taken a turn for the worse with the release of Sue Gray’s report into the investigation. Senior civil-servant Gray, investigating into the incident, concludes in her report:
“The events that I investigated were attended by leaders in government. Many of these events should not have been allowed to happen. It is also the case that some of the more junior civil servants believed that their involvement in some of these events was permitted given the attendance of senior leaders. The senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, must bear responsibility for this culture.”
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Withering in her assessment, the report spares no punches. Calling into question the culture that allowed for such a flagrant breach of protocol, she adds:
“Whatever the initial intent, what took place at many of these gatherings and the way in which they developed was not in line with Covid guidance at the time. Even allowing for the extraordinary pressures officials and advisers were under, the factual findings of this report illustrate some attitudes and behaviours inconsistent with that guidance. It is also clear, from the outcome of the police investigation, that a large number of individuals (83) who attended these events breached Covid regulations and therefore Covid guidance.”
Speaking at a press conference called in the wake of the report, PM Johnson was on the defensive. Accepting full responsibility for the indiscretions, he appeared modest in the face of criticism. As per a transcript released by the Government of the UK, Johnson admitted to feeling ‘humbled’ by events:
“Earlier today Sue Gray published her final report, which I commissioned to get to the bottom of things and set the record straight, and I’m grateful to her for her work. She has identified a number of failings, some official, some political and some that I accept are entirely my own, for which I take full responsibility. I want to start by saying that I am humbled by what happened.”
But ever shrewd, PM Johnson alluded to the difficult state of affairs, both at home and abroad, to deflect calls of his resignation. “And it is precisely because I have learned this lesson that I feel an even greater weight of responsibility to deliver on the priorities of the British people, and lead our country through some of the most challenging times in recent history. I will work every hour to ease the hardship caused by the rising cost of living. To protect our nation from the aftershocks of Covid, stand firm against Putin’s aggression, and to unite and level up across our United Kingdom, that is the mission that drives this government and that is the mission that I will continue to pursue,” the transcript adds.
