Boris Johnson fined for lockdown parties at Downing Street

After a lengthy investigation, British police announced on Tuesday that Prime Minister Boris Johnson will have to pay 30 fines for holding parties at 10 Downing Street during lockdown despite strict gathering regulations. 

Police launched a criminal investigation into more than a dozen illegal parties held by government staff during the pandemic, including some “BYOB” invitations and quiz game nights. 

For most of the pandemic, Britain enforced strict COVID-19 regulations. People were banned from meeting more than one person outside of their household.

However, Johnson’s office held a farewell party for two staffers on April 16, 2021, despite the social distancing regulations that were in place to slow down the spread of the virus. The party included late-night drinking and dancing.

Similarly, in May 2020, a garden party was also hosted at Downing Street. The invitation, sent by Johnson’s private secretary, Martin Reynolds, was sent to more than 100 staffers and encouraged them to bring their own booze.

Johnson said he would pay the fine and apologized for the incidents. But, according to the prime minister, he only attended “a brief gathering … lasting for less than 10 minutes during which people I work with kindly passed on their good wishes.”

“I have to say in all frankness at that time it did not occur to me that this might have been a breach of the rules,” he said. “But of course, the police have found otherwise, and I fully respect the outcome of their investigation.”

“I understand the anger that many will feel that I myself fell short when it came to observing the very rules that the government I lead had introduced to protect the public and I accept in all sincerity that people had the right to expect better,” he added.

Johnson’s wife, Carrie Johnson, and Chancellor Rishi Sunak were also fined. 

So far, police have issued 50 fines in their investigation of government parties at Downing Street during the lockdown, said London’s Metropolitan Police on Tuesday. 

Johnson’s critics have called on him and Sunak to resign for breaking the law. The leader of the opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, claimed “it’s obvious there was widespread criminality” at 10 Downing Street. 

"Boris Johnson must resign. He broke the law and repeatedly lied to parliament about it. The basic values of integrity and decency -- essential to the proper working of any parliamentary democracy -- demand that he go. And he should take his out-of-touch chancellor with him," said Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Johnson and Sunak, however, rejected the calls to resign. "As I said, just now, I want to be able to get on and deliver the mandate that I have," Johnson responded.