Boris finally comes clean on the party.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson admitted on Wednesday that he attended the 10 Downing Street “bring your own booze” party during the height of the first lockdown and offered his “heartfelt apologies”.
Johnson subsequently refused repeated calls to resign.
The UK PM finally came clean during Prime Minister’s Questions, two days after a leaked email suggested he and wife Carrie had attended a drinks gathering in May 2020 that 100 people were invited to.
Johnson began by saying he wanted to apologise as he recognises the “anguish” that Covid restrictions have caused and the “rage” people feel “with me and the government I lead”.
“There were things we simply did not get right,” he said.
Johnson said that on 20 May, he thanked staff and later returned to his office, believing it was a work event.
“With hindsight”, Johnson said, “I should have sent staff back inside”.
Keir Starmer called the Prime Minister’s explanation “offensive to the British public”.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says the PM's defence that 'he didn't realise he was at a party is offensive to the British public'.
He asks Boris Johnson whether he will resign, as the PM replies "I want to repeat I thought it was a work event".https://t.co/QsMcHP2Bdb pic.twitter.com/aAGYYayX0L
— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 12, 2022
The Labour leader got stuck into Johnson, blasting the “defence of a man who didn’t realise he was at a party”.
He went on to say: “After months of deceit and deception, (this is) the pathetic spectacle of a man who’s run out of rope.”
Starmer called on Johnson to “do decent thing and resign”, a request that was met with cheers across the Commons.
55 minutes before the Downing Street party began, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden delivered a press conference reminding people of the lockdown rules, saying:
“You can meet one person outside of your household in an outdoor, public place provided that you stay two metres apart.”
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