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Partygate: the fate of Boris Johnson suspended on the conclusions of the administrative inquiry

2022-05-25T09:23:58.860Z


Boris Johnson is preparing for the forthcoming publication, from Wednesday May 25 according to the British media, of the conclusions of the administrative investigation...


Boris Johnson is preparing for the forthcoming publication, from Wednesday May 25 according to the British media, of the conclusions of the administrative investigation into "

partygate

" which could aggravate the crisis threatening the British Prime Minister.

Read alsoThe sword of “Partygate” remains suspended above Boris Johnson

After months of revelations and twists and turns in the Downing Street holiday scandal during the anti-Covid lockdowns, senior civil servant Sue Gray is due to deliver her report to Downing Street on Wednesday morning before it goes online, say the BBC, the Telegraph and the Times.

126 fines for eight events

The head of the Conservative government must speak in the wake of Parliament on the subject, in addition to his weekly session to answer questions from deputies at 11:00 GMT.

If the calendar is still likely to evolve, as often in this case, the end of the suspense seems close on this investigation, long delayed by the parallel launch of a police investigation.

The latter ended last week by revealing the scale of breaches of anti-Covid rules in Downing Street, contrasting with the sacrifices of the British: 126 fines issued for eight events, including one to Boris Johnson himself for a pot surprise birthday party in June 2020.

War in Ukraine, economic support plan

This assessment was nevertheless considered relatively lenient for the Prime Minister, who had participated in seemingly more serious rallies and who then seemed in a position to overcome this scandal, like many others before.

After seeing his popularity drop during the winter due to “

partygate

”, Boris Johnson has straightened his image by showing himself at the forefront of Western support for Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion.

His party, however, suffered heavy losses in local elections in early May.

Hammering that he is seeking to respond to the concerns of the British, he intends, according to the media, to soon announce a massive support plan for households strangled by historic inflation in the United Kingdom.

bottles

In recent days, overwhelming photos and testimonials published in the media have relaunched the “

partygate

”, showing in particular Boris Johnson glass in hand in front of a table covered with bottles for the farewell party of his head of communication in November 2020.

Sue Gray's report, which the Times says is 40 pages long and covers more than a dozen events, is likely to provide damaging new details as well as the names of people involved in the parties.

A preliminary report, considerably redacted so as not to interfere with the investigations of the police, had given a scathing foretaste, by denouncing among other things “

errors of leadership and judgment

”.

Boris Johnson apologized when he received the fine but refused to resign.

Motion of no confidence

But if the new elements published convince more than fifty members of the majority to let go of him, he risks finding himself targeted by a motion of no confidence, almost three years after his triumphant arrival in Downing Street in the midst of the psychodrama of Brexit.

The report could also fuel accusations of lies that will be examined by another planned investigation, this one parliamentary.

If the latter concludes that he knowingly lied in the gallery of the House of Commons by claiming not to have broken the rules, he is supposed to resign.

Critics from the opposition, who were strongly calling for his resignation, however, have waned since police opened an investigation into Labor leader Keir Starmer.

The latter is accused of having violated the anti-Covid rules during a campaign trip in 2021.

Read also“Partygate”: the Gray report criticizes the “errors” of Boris Johnson

Indoor gatherings were prohibited, but Keir Starmer explained that he ordered curries and beers for the team that met that evening in party premises, the only alternative according to him to closed restaurants.

The leader of Labor and his number two have promised to resign in the event of a fine.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2022-05-25

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