Boris Johnson news: PM apologises for No10 party as he faces calls for his resignation

Daniel Keane12 January 2022

Boris Johnson has apologised over reports of Downing Street parties during lockdown saying there were “things we simply didn’t get right”.

Now the Prime Minister faces calls to resign from three top Tories - Douglas Ross, MP for Moray, William Wragg MP and former leader of the Scottish Conservatives Baroness Davidson.

The leader of the Conservatives in Scotland said he spoke to Mr Johnson Wednesday afternoon and explained why he was calling for him quit.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister said he was sorry for the No10 party during PMQs.

He said: “I want to apologise. People across this country have made extraordinary sacrifices... I know the anguish they have been through.

“And I know the rage they feel with me and with the Government I lead when they think that in Downing Street itself the rules are not being properly followed.

“I cannot anticipate the rules of current inquiry, I have learned enough to know that there were things we simply did not get right.”

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12 January 2022

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12 January 2022

Northern Ireland health minister appeals for military support for hospitals

In Northern Ireland, the health minister Robin Swann has appealed for military support to relieve Covid pressures in the country’s hospitals.

Mr Swann has made an official request to the Ministry of Defence to provide combat medical technicians (CMTs) and non-medical staff.

It is understood the latest request is linked to increased hospital pressures due to high levels of staff sickness due to Covid.

Thousands of workers across the health service in Northern Ireland are currently absent as the number of Omicron cases remains high in the region.

A Department of Health spokesperson told the PA news agency: “We can confirm that a request for military assistance has been made by the Health Minister to the Ministry of Defence.

“Our health and social care system is under severe pressure.”

12 January 2022

Environment Secretary: No 10 ‘different’ from other workplaces

Environment Secretary George Eustice has claimed circumstances were different in No 10 in May 2020 than for other workplaces.

Mr Eustice told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme: “At that particular point obviously, most of us were working from home and even doing interviews from home.

“But it was different in No 10 in the sense that the Prime Minister lives there and works there and there was a team dealing with Covid who were working there and had to work from there.”

He admitted it was a “very difficult, uncomfortable time for the Prime Minister”.

However, he said it was for Sue Gray, the senior civil servant leading an investigation into lockdown parties, to investigate the various reported events.

Asked if the PM will resign if Ms Gray’s report found wrongdoing, Mr Eustice said: “I don’t think we should get ahead of ourselves here. We should take this a step at a time.”

12 January 2022

Tory MP: Boris should hand in his own resignation

Mr Wragg, who is also the vice-chairman of the influential 1922 committee of backbench MPs, suggested Boris Johnson should take the decision to resign himself.

He said it was "a tragedy things have come to pass in this way", and he said: "Unfortunately, I wasn't reassured. I fear this is simply going to be a continuing distraction to the good governance of the country."

He said it would be "preferable" for Mr Johnson to offer his resignation himself as MPs were "tired" and "frankly worn out of defending what is invariably indefensible".

He said: "I don't believe it should be left to the findings of a civil servant to determine the future of the Prime Minister and indeed who governs this country.

“I think it is for the Conservative Party, if not the Prime Minister, in fact, to make that decision, and to realise what is in the best interest, so that we can move forward both as a party and a country."

He added: "It is deeply unfortunate, but I'm afraid it is... the inevitable conclusion is the only way to do that is with a change”.

12 January 2022

Senior Tory: PM’s position is 'untenable’

A senior Tory has said that the Prime Minister’s position is now in doubt after his apology for attending a lockdown party in May 2020 at Downing Street.

Chairman of the Public Affairs and Constitutional Affairs Committee, William Wragg, said the Prime Minister's position is "untenable".

The Tory MP for Hazel Grove told BBC Radio 4's PM programme that: "A series of unforced errors are deeply damaging to the perception of the party.

"The Prime Minister's position is untenable."

12 January 2022

Former leader of the Scottish Conservatives calls for Boris to quit

Jackson Carlaw, Tory MSP for Eastwood and leader of the Scottish Conservatives between February and July 2020, said he agreed with party boss Douglas Ross and said the Prime Minister should stand down after Mr Johnson admitted attending a drinks party in the Downing Street garden.

“People in Eastwood, and across the UK made enormous sacrifices to follow the rules,” he said on Twitter.

“Given that the PM has now confirmed he attended a rule breaking gathering, he has lost the confidence of the country, so I believe Douglas has made the right call & that the PM should stand down.”

12 January 2022

Leader of Scottish Conservatives calls for Johnson to resign

Boris Johnson should quit over the “Partygate” scandal, the leader of the Conservatives in Scotland said today in a major blow to the Prime Minister.

Douglas Ross, MP for Moray, said he spoke to Mr Johnson Wednesday afternoon and explained why he was calling for him resign.

Mr Johnson admitted in the Commons earlier that he had been at a “bring-your-own-booze” party in the garden of No10 on May 20, 2020, when Britain was in lockdown.

Mr Ross said: “I don’t want to be in this position. I am in the position now where I don’t think he can continue as leader of the Conservatives.

“I spoke to the Prime Minister this afternoon, I set out my reasons and I explained to him my position.”

Read the full piece here.

12 January 2022

Gove offers support for PM

Communities Secretary Michael Gove echoed Nadine Dorries’ support for the Prime Minister’s apology.

Culture Secretary Ms Dorries said Boris Johnson was “right to personally apologise” as “people are hurt and angry at what happened”.

Responding to her message, Mr Gove said: “Nadine is right.”

12 January 2022

Cabinet minister leaps to PM’s defence

Culture secretary Nadine Dorries has leapt to the prime minister’s defence, claiming he was “right to apologise”.

She tweeted: “PM was right to personally apologise earlier. People are hurt and angry at what happened and he has taken full responsibility for that.

“The inquiry should now be allowed to its work and establish the full facts of what happened.”

12 January 2022

Raab ‘must come clean over whether he attended party'

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab needs to “come clean” about whether he attended the Downing Street garden party in May 2020, Labour has said.

It follows a suggestion by Conservative MP Simon Hoare that the “bring your own booze” lockdown event was organised as a “thank you” to Mr Raab for stepping up while Boris Johnson was recovering from Covid.

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “If the Deputy Prime Minister also attended this party he needs to come clean.

“The public has a right to know if any other senior Tories were at this party while the rest of the country was locked down.”

Ms Rayner also criticised Rishi Sunak’s decision to travel to Devon on Wednesday, accusing him of “running away” from answering questions about what he knew about the alleged gatherings.

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