As of: 01/16/2022 4:21 p.m
British Prime Minister Johnson is fighting for his post after the “Partygate affair”: According to media reports, he wants to clean up his staff and enact populist measures. He receives support from a party friend.
In Britain, the Conservative Party has backed its ailing Prime Minister Boris Johnson and refused to step down. First the allegations would have to be clarified and then Johnson would have to deal with the customs of his government, said cabinet member and Conservative Party Chairman Oliver Dowden on Sky News.
Fired employees and an alcohol ban
In order to save his political future, Johnson is planning a sweeping attack among his closest associates, reports the Sunday Times. He wants to lay off employees and take a number of other populist measures. Johnson is also considering a ban on alcohol on Downing Street premises. The prime minister will take action against this “culture” at the seat of government, Dowden assured.
Dowden told the BBC he could reassure Brits that PM Johnson was remorseful.
Image: REUTERS
lift restrictions
Johnson’s plans should also include lifting the remaining corona restrictions on January 26. This includes the obligation to wear face masks and the instruction to work from home if possible.
Dowden said, “I’m very hopeful and optimistic.” Decisions are made based on the data. In the UK, the rise in infections with the omicron variant of the coronavirus has slowed significantly. On Saturday, British authorities reported almost 82,000 new cases, less than half the peak from early January.
Johnson: allegations against his team
According to the newspaper report, Johnson refuses to take responsibility for the government crisis himself. At meetings in the past few days, he is said to have accused his team of not having protected him. Johnson’s bureau chief Martin Reynolds, his deputy Stuart Glassborow and chief of staff Dan Rosenfield are the most likely candidates to be forced off Downing Street.
Despite the lockdown rules, Reynolds had invited the employees to a garden party with the e-mail appeal “Bring your own alcohol”.
MPs call for a vote of no confidence
So far, most members of the government have supported Johnson. However, the corresponding statements by some ministers, including Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, were extremely cautious. Pensions Secretary Guy Opperman backtracked, saying Johnson must “change his approach.”
MPs from Johnson’s conservative Tory party also called for a vote of no confidence in the head of government. They said they were inundated with messages from outraged voters over the reports. Andrew Bridgen MP told the BBC that Johnson had “lost the moral authority to lead”.
Dowden: Johnson is ‘contrite and deeply saddened’
A government spokesman declined to comment on the allegations. The government will await an investigation by official Sue Gray, who will compile the facts about meetings during the corona pandemic. Gray could present her report in the next few days.
Johnson will then take “full responsibility,” Dowden told the BBC. “I can assure you that the Prime Minister is heartbroken and deeply saddened by what has happened,” he added. But Johnson was also “determined” to address the “underlying culture at Downing Street.”
Under pressure for celebrations
Johnson has been under immense pressure for a long time, mainly because of celebrations in his seat of government during lockdown times. He apologized in Parliament on Wednesday for a garden party at his official residence. But further revelations followed, including celebrations on the eve of Queen consort Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021. At that time, strict corona rules applied in Great Britain, which meant that Queen Elizabeth II had to sit alone in the chapel of her Windsor residence as her husband was buried. The opposition and some of his own party colleagues have called on Johnson to resign.