But the transport secretary says Boris Johnson did not intend to break Covid laws and should stay on.
Image source, Getty Images
Boris Johnson was wrong to attend a party in lockdown but that does not mean he should resign, a minister said.
The prime minister was fined for breaking Covid laws but Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he had not acted “with malice or intent”.
Every opposition party has said Mr Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak must quit after being fined on Tuesday.
But cabinet ministers have backed the pair and only one Tory MP has publicly called for Mr Johnson to stand down.
The Metropolitan Police have so far issued more than 50 fines over lockdown-breaking parties in government buildings, with more expected to come.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Mr Shapps said Mr Johnson was “mortified” and “incredibly embarrassed” at having been fined.
The PM, his wife Carrie, and Mr Sunak paid £50 fixed penalty notices for attending a surprise birthday party for Mr Johnson in Downing Street on 19 June 2020 – when social gatherings of more than two people inside were banned by law.
More than 70 Tory MPs have expressed their support for the PM, including some who have previously called for him to go.
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Mr Shapps said the prime minister should have left the party, adding: “It was wrong. He’s apologised, he’s accepted responsibility.
“I don’t seek to justify it, but I also know that it wasn’t done with malice or intent – even though it should not have happened.”
And Welsh Secretary Simon Hart said Mr Johnson should not resign as PM, even if he is fined again.
Speaking to BBC Wales, he added: “The principles are the same, whether it’s going to be one fine or two”.
But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak had “dishonoured” their positions, and the sacrifices made by the public to stop the spread of Covid and must now go.
The first minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, and Welsh government leader Mark Drakeford also demanding resignations.
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A group representing Covid-bereaved families said there was “simply no way” either man could continue in their job, calling their actions “truly shameless”.
Amanda McEgan, whose daughter Isabel died during the pandemic, said the prime minister’s conduct during the lockdowns made restrictions on the 19-year-old’s funeral “more hurtful”.
All cabinet ministers have publicly backed Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak, apart from Home Secretary Priti Patel, who is responsible for policing in England and Wales. A source close to her told the BBC she supports the PM but can’t comment on an ongoing investigation.
Nigel Mills is currently the only Tory MP known to have said publicly that Mr Johnson should go, telling BBC Radio Derby: “I don’t think his position is tenable”.
Others who called for him to resign earlier in the year, including Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, have now said they don’t think he should.
Speaking on Tuesday, the PM said he accepted “in all sincerity that people had the right to expect better” from him.
He claimed the party he was fined for attending was “brief”, lasted “less than 10 minutes” and it “did not occur” to him it would breach the rules.
But he added: “Of course, the police have found otherwise and I fully respect the outcome of their investigation.”
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Reports of parties being held in Downing Street during lockdowns first emerged in December last year, with Mr Johnson initially insisting that “guidelines were followed at all times”.
Mr Sunak also told the Commons: “I did not attend any parties.”
The PM then ordered an inquiry into the allegations of rule-breaking, led by senior civil servant Sue Gray.
The Met initially said it would not retrospectively investigate the allegations unless “significant evidence” of a regulation breach came forward.
But after Ms Gray passed information to officers, they launched their own inquiry.
Her full report will not be released until the Met have concluded their investigation.
Sue Gray’s record of the gatherings
The government has faced intense pressure over gatherings held in and around Downing Street during Covid lockdowns. Senior civil servant Sue Gray has said that many of them “should not have been allowed to take place or to develop in the way that they did.” Here is what we know about them and the restrictions in place at the time:
15 May 2020
A photo from May 2020 showed the prime minister and his staff with bottles of wine and a cheeseboard in the Downing Street garden. When asked about it, Boris Johnson said “those people were at work talking about work”.
The rules:
Legal restrictions at the time said you could not leave your house without a reasonable excuse and government guidance was that you could meet one person outside of your household in an outdoor setting while exercising.
This event is not being investigated by the police.
20 May 2020
About 100 people were invited by email to “socially distanced drinks in the No 10 garden this evening”. Witnesses told the BBC the PM and his wife were among about 30 people who attended. Boris Johnson has declined to say whether he was among those there.
This event is being investigated by the police.
18 June 2020
A gathering took place in the Cabinet Office to mark the departure of a No 10 private secretary.
This event is being investigated by the police.
19 June 2020
On Boris Johnson’s birthday, up to 30 people gathered in the Cabinet Room at No 10 to present the prime minister with a birthday cake and sing Happy Birthday, according to a report by ITV News.
No 10 said staff had “gathered briefly” to “wish the prime minister a happy birthday”, adding that he had been there “for less than 10 minutes”.
The rules:
Restrictions at the time banned most indoor gatherings involving more than two people.
This event is being investigated by the police.
13 November 2020
Sources told the BBC that Downing Street staff members attended a gathering with Carrie Johnson in the flat where she and the prime minister live. A spokesman for Mrs Johnson denies the party took place. There was a separate gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the same day to mark the departure of a special adviser.
The rules:
Eight days earlier Boris Johnson had announced a new lockdown in England. Indoor gatherings with other households were banned, unless they were for work purposes.
These events are being investigated by the police.
27 November 2020
A leaving event was held for No 10 aide, Cleo Watson, where people were drinking, and Mr Johnson made a speech, according to sources.
This event is not being investigated by the police.
10 December 2020
The Department for Education has confirmed it had an office gathering to thank staff for their work during the pandemic. It says drinks and snacks were brought by those who attended and no outside guests or support staff were invited.
The rules:
Eight days earlier, London had been placed in restrictions which banned two or more people from different households from meeting indoors, unless “reasonably necessary” for work purposes.
This event is not being investigated by the police.
14 December 2020
The Conservative Party has admitted that an “unauthorised gathering” took place at its HQ in Westminster. It was held by the team of the party’s London-mayoral candidate, Shaun Bailey, who has since stepped down as chair of the London Assembly police and crime committee. The Metropolitan Police is to speak to two people who attended the party.
This event was not included in Sue Gray’s report.
15 December 2020
Multiple sources have told the BBC there was a Christmas quiz for No 10 staff last year. A photo – published by the Sunday Mirror – shows Boris Johnson taking part and sitting between two colleagues in No 10. Mr Johnson has denied any wrongdoing.
This event is not being investigated by the police.
16 December 2020
The Department for Transport has apologised after confirming reports of a party in its offices, calling it “inappropriate” and an “error of judgment” by staff.
The rules:
London moved into the highest tier of restrictions and Matt Hancock, who was health secretary at the time, said it was important “everyone is cautious” ahead of the festive period.
This event was not included in Sue Gray’s report.
17 December 2020
A leaving party was held at the Cabinet Office for the outgoing head of the civil service Covid taskforce – the team responsible for drawing up coronavirus restrictions.
Kate Josephs, now chief executive of Sheffield City Council, apologised for the event, saying she was “truly sorry that I did this and for the anger that people will feel as a result”.
A second gathering was held in the Cabinet Office to hold an online Christmas quiz for the Cabinet Secretary’s private office.
A third gathering was held in No 10 Downing Street to mark the departure of a No 10 official
These events are being investigated by the police.
18 December 2020
Downing Street originally denied a report by the Daily Mirror that a party took place in Downing Street. However, a video obtained by ITV News showed the prime minister’s then-press secretary Allegra Stratton, joking about reports of an event, saying: “This fictional party was a business meeting and it was not socially distanced.”
This event is being investigated by the police.
14 January 2021
A gathering was held in No 10 Downing Street to mark the departure of two private secretaries.
This event is being investigated by the police.
16 April 2021
Two parties were held by Downing Street staff at No 10, the night before Prince Philip’s funeral.
One of the events was a leaving party for the PM’s then director of communications James Slack, who has apologised for the event and acknowledged it “should not have happened at the time that it did”.
Boris Johnson was not at either party.
The rules
The rules had been eased in England on 12 April, but working from home continued to be recommended and socialising indoors with people from other households was not allowed. Meeting others outdoors was limited to groups of six people or two households.
These events are being investigated by the police.