Earlier today it was reported the Prime Minister Boris Johnson was expected to receive a fine relating to a police investigation into lockdown parties at Downing Street.
The fines are being issued for breaches of Covid-19 regulations following allegations of lockdown parties in Downing Street and Whitehall.
Mr Johnson’s fine relates to a gathering celebrating his birthday. A No 10 spokesperson said: “The Met Police have now explained that the FPN issued to the PM will be in relation to the following incident:
“On June 19 2020 at the Cabinet Room, 10 Downing Street, between 1400 and 1500 you participated in a gathering of two or more people indoors in the Cabinet Room at 10 Downing Street.”
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Later today it was confirmed Mr Johnson had paid the fine and offered a “full apology”.
Speaking to broadcasters at Chequers, he said he “fully respects” the outcome of the police investigation and that he accepted “in all sincerity that people had the right to expect better” from him.
He said: “There was a brief gathering in the Cabinet Room shortly after 2pm lasting for less than 10 minutes, during which people I work with kindly passed on their good wishes.
“And I have to say in all frankness at that time it did not occur to me that this might have been a breach of the rules.”
He added: “I now humbly accept that I was."
Asked if he thought more fines were coming his way, he said the media would be among the first to know.
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What is the Ministerial Code?
The Ministerial Code is a document laying out what is required of all “Ministers of the Crown” and how they are expected to conduct themselves.
It is described on the Gov.uk website as: “The Ministerial Code sets out the standards of conduct expected of ministers and how they discharge their duties.”
The Code states ministers are expected to “maintain high standards of behaviour” and should “behave in a way that upholds the highest standards of propriety”.
There are certain sections of the code the Prime Minister has been accused of breeching. For example, when it comes to the law, the code explains it should be read against the background of “the overarching duty on Ministers to comply with the law and to protect the integrity of public life”.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the issuing of a partygate fine to Boris Johnson marked the “first time in the history of our country that a Prime Minister has been found to be in breach of the law, and then he lied repeatedly to the public about it.”
In relation to this, the code also states: “It is of paramount importance that Ministers give accurate and truthful information to Parliament, correcting any inadvertent error at the earliest opportunity.
“Ministers who knowingly mislead Parliament will be expected to offer their resignation to the Prime Minister.”
However, this is where it gets a little complicated as although ministers are expected to interpret the code for themselves and conduct themselves accordingly, the Prime Minister himself has the final say on who stay and who goes.
The official line from the code says: “Ministers are personally responsible for deciding how to act and conduct themselves in the light of the Code and for justifying their actions and conduct to Parliament and the public.
“However, Ministers only remain in office for so long as they retain the confidence of the Prime Minister. He is the ultimate judge of the standards of behaviour expected of a Minister and the appropriate consequences of a breach of those standards.”
Should Boris Johnson resign?
In the foreword to the Ministerial Code, written by the Prime Minister, he speaks of winning back the trust of the British people by upholding “the very highest standards of propriety”.
He wrote: “The precious principles of public life enshrined in this document – integrity, objectivity, accountability, transparency, honesty and leadership in the public interest – must be honoured at all times; as must the political impartiality of our much admired civil service.”
Following today’s revelations, the Prime Minister has faced renewed calls to resign for failing to uphold those very principles.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, a former director of public prosecutions, said: “The British public made the most unimaginable, heart-wrenching sacrifices, and many were overcome by guilt,” he said.
“But the guilty men are the Prime Minister and the Chancellor.
“Britain deserves better, they have to go.”
There have been a chorus of demands for the Commons to be recalled from its two-week Easter break and allow Mr Johnson to “tender his resignation” in person to MPs.
The push for a recall has been made by the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru, while Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been among those of prominence to demand the PM quits.
The Cabinet ministerial defence of Mr Johnson started with Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, who argued that the Tory leader had “been clear about what happened” during the Cabinet Room gathering in 2020 and had “offered a full apology”.
“It was a brief gathering in the Cabinet Room, less than 10 minutes during a busy working day,” said Ms Dorries.
“PM is at his best when delivering on the priorities of the British people which he will continue to do.”
Treasury minister Simon Clarke also offered his “full support” to the Prime Minister.
Do you think Boris Johnson should resign from his role as Prime Minister, or should he remain in his role? % of *general public*
— YouGov (@YouGov) January 15, 2022
Should resign - 63%
Should remain in his role - 24%https://t.co/QaE4WAvnuf
It comes as a poll found that a majority of people in Britain think the Prime Minister should resign after being issued with a Covid fine.
A snap YouGov poll of 2,460 adults taken on Tuesday found that 57% of people think he should go.
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