lockdown parties
Power struggle in the Tories – waiting for the “Partygate” report
Prime Minister Johnson’s wax figure at Madame Tussauds London is decked out in a party hat and confetti following his victory in the 2012 London Mayoral election. Photo: Jonathan Short/AP/dpa
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Great Britain is eagerly awaiting an internal report: Did Prime Minister Johnson and his staff break corona rules by partying? And how detailed can that be publicly described?
Because of the “Partygate” affair surrounding British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a power struggle within the Conservative Party is becoming increasingly clear.
Johnson critic and influential MP Tom Tugendhat threw his hat in the ring on Saturday to become Johnson’s successor. The Daily Mail newspaper previously reported that the chairman of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee had the support of several Tory MPs from the center of the party. More candidates are expected to explain themselves once the much-anticipated internal inquiry into the Downing Street lockdown parties scandal becomes public.
In all likelihood, the report by top official Sue Gray will initially only be published in a heavily censored version. This is related to investigations by the London police. In a statement, the agency asked that “minimum reference be made in the Cabinet Office report to the events being investigated by the Metropolitan Police”. This should prevent “any bias” in the investigation.
Official launch earlier this week?
The handover of the report to Prime Minister Johnson is imminent, as several newspapers wrote on Saturday. However, the official presentation in the London House of Commons is not expected before the beginning of the week. Justice experts were amazed at the police request for censorship. The internal investigator Gray describes only facts and demands no personal consequences. The opposition insists on full publication.
For Johnson, the delay should be welcome news. The police investigation could later only be about whether those involved have to pay fines. This would have significantly weakened the explosive force of both investigations, on which no less than Johnson’s political survival depends. A revolt in his faction would also be less likely.
All knowledge denied
Johnson had so far dismissed almost all questions about the parties with reference to the ongoing investigation and denied any knowledge of lockdown violations. According to a report in the newspaper “Daily Telegraph” on Saturday, the pressure on the prime minister could increase further. According to this, his wife Carrie Johnson pushed for a birthday song and a cake for the prime minister in June 2020 in messages with an official. Private gatherings were forbidden at the time due to strict corona rules. People across the country canceled their parties because of this.
Government employees and Johnson are said to have disregarded their own rules with celebrations during the pandemic. If this is confirmed, a vote of no confidence in Johnson, for which at least 54 Tory MPs would have to position themselves against him in writing, is likely. Foreign Minister Liz Truss and Finance Minister Rishi Sunak have been the favorites for a successor. So far, both have publicly denied any ambitions.
Johnson critic Tugendhat told Times Radio that the office of prime minister was a “huge privilege”. “You don’t have to be embarrassed if you want to serve your country,” said Tugendhat. The foreign expert has served as a soldier in Afghanistan and has repeatedly criticized the hasty withdrawal of British troops from the country.