UK's Boris Johnson, Treasury chief to be fined over lockdown-breaking parties

LONDON

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and one of his top Cabinet ministers will be fined over Downing Street parties that flouted COVID-19 lockdown rules, officials reported on Tuesday.

“The Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer (Rishi Sunak) have today received notification that the Metropolitan Police intend to issue them with fixed penalty notices,” said a Downing Street spokesman, promising more details when they are available.

A spokeswoman for Carrie Johnson, the prime minister’s wife, confirmed that she too will be issued a fine.

Revelations in recent months of the clandestine parties, which took place as officials urged ordinary Britons to avoid gatherings outside their immediate circle, embarrassed the government, and led to calls for Johnson to resign. His apologies failed to quell the controversy, displaced from headlines only by the war in Ukraine, but the fines gave the furor new life.

Police said Tuesday that at least 50 fines total have been issued as part of the ongoing investigation into the parties.

“The investigation into allegations of breaches of Covid-19 regulations in Whitehall and Downing Street continues to progress,” said a Metropolitan Police statement.

“We are making every effort to progress this investigation at speed, this includes continuing to assess significant amounts of investigative material from which further referrals may be made to Acro,” it added, referring to the UK Criminal Records Office or Acro, which is responsible for issuing the fines.

News of the fines sparked fresh calls for the prime minister to quit.

Opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer tweeted: “Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have broken the law and repeatedly lied to the British public. They must both resign.

“The Conservatives are totally unfit to govern. Britain deserves better.”

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: "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."

The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice campaign group said there is “simply no way either the Prime Minister or Chancellor can continue” in their roles, adding: “If they had any decency they would be gone by tonight.”