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| UK PM Boris Johnson |
LONDON, April 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of Great Britain and Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer, have both paid fines for attending a surprise birthday celebration for Boris Johnson in the Cabinet Room on June 19, 2020.
The PM’s wife, Carrie Johnson, who reportedly organised the gathering, has also paid a fine.
Boris Johnson said he “fell short” of observing his own rules but said he feels a duty to “get on with the job” and “deliver on the priorities of the British people.”
After hours of silence, Rishi Sunak apologised and said he deeply regrets the “frustration and anger” over the lockdown breach.
Carrie Johnson said she thought she was acting within the rules but “apologised unreservedly.”
Opposition politicians have called for Parliament to be recalled and for a no-confidence vote, with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer saying the PM and chancellor should resign.
The Covid-19 Bereaved Families group also called for the prime minister to go, saying he paid a fine while others paid with their lives.
Cabinet ministers and other leading Conservatives have posted messages of support for the PM and chancellor, with many echoing Johnson and Sunak’s words that they are getting on with the job. — NNN-AGENCIES