Boris Johnson is facing demands from Conservatives to resign after he confessed to attending a Downing Street garden drinks party during the UK’s first national lockdown.
Amid open speculation about Mr Johnson’s political future – and whether he could be forced out of Number 10 by his own party – two Tory MPs described the prime minister’s position as “untenable”.
The calls for Mr Johnson to quit came after his House of Commons apology about the event failed to quell anger about the Downing Street “bring your own booze” bash on 20 May 2020.
The gathering is understood to have been attended by around 40 people.
Live updates after Boris Johnson dodges resignation calls at PMQs
PM ‘sorry’ but says drinks gathering was ‘work event’
At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday lunchtime, Mr Johnson admitted he went into the Number 10 garden “just after 6pm on 20 May 2020 to thank groups of staff” before going back into his office “25 minutes later”.
The prime minister told MPs he had “learned enough” about multiple claims of lockdown-breaching parties in Downing Street “to know there were things we simply did not get right”.
And he acknowledged the public “rage” about their sense that COVID rules were “not being properly followed by the people who make the rules”.
But Mr Johnson, referring to the 20 May event, said he “believed implicitly that this was a work event”.
“With hindsight, I should have sent everyone back inside,” he added. “I should have found some other way to thank them.
“And I should have recognised that, even if it could be said technically to fall within the guidance, there would be millions and millions of people who simply would not see it that way.”
Source : skynews
