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Prime Minister Boris Johnson: Already numerous embarrassing revelations
Photo: TOLGA AKMEN / AFP
In the so-called "Partygate" affair, possible gatherings in Boris Johnson's private home are also to be investigated in order to clarify celebrations during the lockdown in Downing Street.
Government official Sue Gray's investigation, which is being eagerly awaited in London, will also include alleged parties at the prime minister's home at 11 Downing Street, the Times newspaper and the Guardian reported on Sunday, citing insider sources. Sources.
Close friends of Johnson's wife Carrie are said to have been guests more often during lockdown times - officially for work reasons.
It would be the tenth lockdown party to come to light.
Ex-adviser Cummings becomes Johnson's harshest critic
According to the reports, however, there are doubts about the representation that it was a working meeting because the friends mentioned did not work directly for the seat of government at 10 Downing Street, but for the attached Cabinet Office. Johnson's ex-adviser Dominic Cummings, who is now one of the prime minister's harshest critics, had earlier alleged that unauthorized parties had also taken place in Johnson's own apartment - not only in offices.
The revelations are so threatening for Johnson because they show that the corona rules that his government itself had set were being broken in front of him.
In the past few weeks, the prime minister's defense has proven to be untenable several times.
While he initially said that, to his knowledge, there had been no gatherings where rules had been broken, it was later said that no one had told him that rules had been broken.
In addition, Johnson had repeatedly pointed out that one had to wait for Gray's report before allowing oneself to judge.
However, this could be extremely uncomfortable for Johnson;
Gray is considered meticulous and tough on the matter.
Violations of corona rules are unlikely to be considered trivial offenses.
Because of a number of revelations in the "Partygate" affair, Johnson is also under immense pressure within the party, he is threatened with a vote of no confidence.
Some Conservative MPs have already publicly called for the PM's resignation.
Others want to await the results of the official investigation.
Johnson himself has so far avoided questions about the consequences of the report.
On Wednesday he had shown himself combative at a question time in Parliament;
at the same time he announced extensive easing of the corona rules.
Some observers saw this as an attempt to distract from the affair.
Not enough dissenters for no-confidence vote
So far, however, the Tories' opposition to Johnson has not been strong enough to warrant a vote of no confidence. An attempt by a group of Tory MPs to initiate a vote, dubbed the “pork pie plot”, failed for the time being. So far, the hurdle of 54 supporters has not been reached. So many Conservative MPs would have to distance themselves by letter from Johnson to bring about a vote of confidence.
Nevertheless, more and more Tories are opposing their party leader.
A Tory MP has accused Johnson's government of blackmail tactics and wants to speak to the police about it.
Conservative MPs suspected of disobeying the prime minister have been threatened by government officials with publishing compromising material in the press.
They were also said to have been threatened that the government would withhold financial aid for their constituencies.
muk/dpa
