Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak will receive fines for Covid lockdown breaches

Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak will receive fines for Covid lockdown breaches
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GB News Reporter

By GB News Reporter


Published: 12/04/2022

- 13:48

The fines are part of a police probe into allegations of lockdown parties held at Downing Street

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak will receive fines for breaches of Covid-19 laws in relation to the lockdown parties held at Downing Street.

No.10 said in a statement: “The Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have today received notification that the Metropolitan police intend to issue them with fixed penalty notices.


"We have no further details, but we will update you again when we do.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has since called on both the Prime Minister and Chancellor to resign.

Sir Keir said: “Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have broken the law and repeatedly lied to the British public. They must both resign.

“The Conservatives are totally unfit to govern. Britain deserves better.”

Scotland Yard have said more than 50 fines have now been issued for the Partygate probe.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks at a joint news conference with his Polish counterpart at the Chancellery in Warsaw, Poland March 1, 2022. Leon Neal/Pool via REUTERS
Prime Minister Boris Johnson
POOL

This is up from the 20 referrals for fixed-penalty notices (FPN) the force said had been made at the end of March.

The force said it was “making every effort to progress this investigation at speed”, with the possibility of more fines to come.

The identities of other people issued with FPNs have not been disclosed publicly by the Met, nor the event a fine relates to.

Mr Johnson is understood to have been present at six of the at least 12 events being investigated.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also called for Boris Johnson’s resignation.

He tweeted: “A Prime Minister who breaks the laws his Government makes and then lies about it isn’t fit for office.

FILE PHOTO: British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak speaks at Conservative Party Spring Conference in Blackpool, Britain March 18, 2022. REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak
PHIL NOBLE

“Families made huge sacrifices and obeyed the law. Many said their last goodbyes to loved ones on the phone while the Prime Minister partied.

“Boris Johnson must resign.”

Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “Criminality and lies at the heart of government. Led by the Prime Minister and the Chancellor.

“Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak must resign now for breaking the laws they enforced on us all.”

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the additional fines “expose the shocking scale of the criminality in Boris Johnson’s No 10”.

The former cabinet minister added: “The police have now completely shredded Johnson’s claims that no laws were broken.

“He cannot be trusted and cannot continue as Prime Minister.

“No other leader in any other organisation would be allowed to continue after law-breaking on this scale.

“If Boris Johnson won’t resign, Conservative MPs must show him the door.”

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said earlier today: “This is just the latest example of a distracted out-of-touch government, guilty of breaking the law never mind enforcing it.”

Matt Fowler, co-founder of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, said the FPN referrals were “indisputable” evidence that there was “rule breaking en masse” in Government while families were “unable to be at their loved ones’ sides in their last moments”.

He added: "If Boris Johnson had any decency he would do the right thing and resign immediately.”

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