Civil servant Sue Gray received pictures of UK PM Boris Johnson with wine bottles along with his colleagues while conducting her probe into the Partygate scandal. According to reports by several UK-based news agencies, Gray, who is investigating allegations of flouting Covid-19 rules in a string of parties inside the No 10 Downing Street, has not yet sent the report for publishing but the report is expected to be released later today.
According to Sky News, Gray received pictures of Johnson standing along with wine bottles along with some other colleagues of his inside his residence at the No 10 Downing Street. The revelations could put the UK prime minister in a tougher spot as calls for his resignation grow over the Partygate scandal. Several members of the Conservative Party have asked for the resignation of their own party man over the allegations.
The Labour Party and a large section of UK’s citizens also are enraged over Boris’ hypocrisy as the parties were held over the past two years and especially at times when he himself implemented strong Covid-19 measures to curb the spread of Covid in the UK. Several parties were held on separate occasions in the year 2020 and 2021 when a heightened approach was taken to curb Covid-19 as England reported a large number of cases, deaths and hospitalizations.
Earlier on Tuesday, the London Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into the parties with the police chief Cressida Dick saying that the police force’s anti-corruption unit will lead the investigation into the alleged flouting of the Covid-19 rules.
Boris Johnson said that he will cooperate fully with the investigation. He is also expected to address the House of Commons soon after Sue Gray publishes her report. Boris has apologised to the people of UK and also the royal family as one of the parties was held a day before Prince Phillip’s death – at a time when the UK was observing a period of national mourning along with a large number of cases and deaths during the second wave.
The UK is gradually lifting all the strict Covid-19 measures it brought in to curb the spread of the Omicron variant. Health experts expect that the move could be the outcome of the recent events and warned Boris against using the lifting of curbs for political expediency.
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