Boris Johnson, the UK prime minister, and Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, have resisted calls from opposition parties to resign from Downing Street.
This comes after the prime minister, the chancellor, and the prime minister’s wife were all fined on Tuesday, April 12 for attending Boris Johnson’s birthday party in No 10 in June 2020.
Johnson became the UK’s first serving prime minister to be sanctioned for breaching the law as a result of his actions.
All three apologized, but Johnson and Sunak resisted calls for the Prime Minister and Chancelor to quit as opposition parties demanded it.
The chancellor said he was “focused on delivering for the British people,” while Johnson said he felt “an even greater sense of commitment to deliver on the priorities of the British people.”
On Tuesday, April 12, the Prime Minister stated that he understood “with all honesty” that people had the right to expect more from him.
He claimed that the event for which he was punished – a birthday celebration in the Cabinet Room – was “short” and lasted “less than 10 minutes.”
He continued, ” “To be honest, it never occurred to me at the time that this might have been a regulation violation.
“Of course, the police have arrived to a different conclusion, and I entirely appreciate their decision.”
Sunak later issued a statement in which he stated: “I recognize that the rules must be strictly followed by public officials in order to maintain public trust.
“I have paid the fine because I respect the decision that was made.”
The PM’s and chancellor’s “full” and “unreserved” apologies, however, did not appease their critics.
The fines are the result of a Metropolitan Police investigation into illegal parties conducted in Downing Street and across Whitehall during Covid lockdowns in 2020 and 2021.
The police are investigating 12 parties in total and have already issued more than 50 fines, with more on the way.