Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have apologised for the 'partygate' controversy
Key takeaways:
- Boris Johnson and his Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, have issued an apology after the Metropolitan Police revealed that the duo would be fined for attending rule-breaking events.
Boris Johnson, the British PM, as well as Rishi Sunak, his Chancellor of the Exchequer, have made an apology after London's Metropolitan Police announced they will fine the pair for attending rule-breaking gatherings during the UK's Covid-19 lockdown, in an episode dubbed 'party gate' by the British press.
Johnson, who had initially denied that he had broken any laws, now admits that he had but refuses to resign. "It never occurred to me that, as I said, I was breaking the rules." I now acknowledge that I was. "Now that the fine has been addressed, I believe the greatest thing I can do is focus on the work, which is exactly what I want to do," the premier stated.
Police are looking into up to 12 parties at Johnson's Downing Street office and the Cabinet Office, including one planned for his 56th birthday on June 19, 2020.
Sunak, on the other hand, apologized 'unreservedly' for attending the same birthday party. "I am genuinely sorry for the frustration as well as anger that I have caused. "I understand the outrage that many people will feel since I failed to follow the regulations that the administration I lead had put in place to safeguard the public," the 41-year-old leader said in a television interview.
The fines levied against Johnson and Sunak are among three levied by the Metropolitan Police Department on Tuesday, connected with Johnson's 57th birthday celebration. More than 50 fines will be issued in all, according to the police.
This is the first time a serving British Prime Minister has been charged with breaking the law.
Johnson has become an active participant in global attempts to cease Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine in recent days; last week, he paid a surprise visit to Kyiv, the war-torn nation's capital, to see Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Meanwhile, Sunak has been battling claims that his wife, Akshata, the daughter of Indian billionaire Narayana Murthy, has a 'non-domicile status' for tax purposes in the United Kingdom. Individuals with this status are exempt from paying tax to the UK government on income earned outside the country.