No.10 lockdown party saga
Any Brit can tell you with rolled eyes at least one occasion where the government has broken lockdown rules. We had the famous Barnard Castle episode with Cummings and his eye test situation. We had photos of ministers and the PM mixing outdoors in May 2020 when this very act was banned. And now we have the revelations; of not one, but two parties held in April 2021. (And it wasn't even for my birthday, how rude?)
Confirmed Parties?
What we know for sure is that there was a party in May 2020, when lockdown rules still applied. There was a leaving drinks in June 2020, held for a former Cabinet secretary. This year, there have been two parties in April, during the time that the UK was in national mourning in the wake of Prince Philip's funeral. Given the leaks, it is fair to say that there have likely been more parties, but there are the ones the public is aware of.
The PM?
Boris Johnson was said to not be at either party in April, but was present at the May and June 2020 parties. Upon revelation, the PM denied the existence of any parties. Later the PM apologised to the House of Commons which he doesn’t do lightly. He stated that he genuinely thought the party was a work event and was only present for 20-25 minutes. Whether this is true is another story.
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Investigation?
Cabinet Press Secretary Simon Case was put in charge of an official investigation into the lockdown parties. Days later, it emerged that Case himself had been present at said parties, so was subsequently removed from heading the case, replaced by senior civil servant Sue Gray. In addition, the Met Police decided not to investigate into the lockdown parties. Not sure why, as Brits were fined for doing the same thing, understandably leading to uproar from the public at these inherent double standards. It seems to be one rule for Westminister and one rule for everyone else.
MP Defection?
And this week saw Christian Wakeford, MP for Bury South, defect from the Conservatives to Labour in defiance of Boris Johnson's government. Letters have been received by Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 committee, concerning a non confidence vote in the PM. But Wakeford's defection has resulted in some MPs wishing to rescind their letters, surprisingly. An event like this is a huge deal; but Conservative MPs instead of using this against the PM have decided to unite behind him. It will be interesting to see if there will be any more defections or calls for resignation.
Next Steps
It’s a game of waiting for Sue Gray’s official report on the Downing Street parties but the PM has alredy been forced to preempt it and apologised to the House and the Queen for the parties that took place before Prince Philip’s funeral. This sounds official, but during the Conservative leadership election of 2019, an investigation into Islamophobia within the Conservative party was promised. We seem to still be waiting for such an investigation to materialise, so it is difficult to believe that this report will be delivered if not truthful. One thing I can promise is the disillusionment of the British public with politics. I never understood how people could not be interested in politics, as it affects every sector of society. However, this government's behaviour during the pandemic and its response to scandals has been apathetic to say the least. Why would people want to engage in politics when all they see is politicians constantly lying to them?
The big question still remains: is this the end of Johnson's tenure as PM? Reports say his days are numbered. Personally? Johnson's government has survived many scandals during COVID, and this may be one more in a line of many. But with his own party wanting him out, perhaps he will be ousted.
Only time will tell. One thing for is for sure: people pressure clearly works.
*All rights reserved for the image in the header, showing PM Boris Johnson with wife Carrie and aides outdoors mixing on Friday 15th May 2020, at a time when England was banned from mixing with others outdoors
Image located in: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/dec/19/chatting-over-cheese-and-wine-anatomy-downing-street-lockdown-gathering-picture
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