BBC: Johnson to Apologise to Parliament Over Fine
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will apologise on Tuesday to members of the British Parliament for the fine he received for violating the corona rules. Sources around the British opposition Labor party report this to the BBC.
It is the first time Johnson has made a statement to parliament since he received the fine. Opposition parties say Johnson deliberately misled parliament. The parties may be able to call for a vote on this. Having a parliamentary committee carry out an investigation is also being considered.
Johnson was fined for a meeting in honour of his birthday on June 19, 2020. According to British media, Johnson was surprised with a cake and serenaded by dozens of colleagues. His wife has helped organise the meeting, which would have lasted twenty to thirty minutes. She was also fined, but it is not clear whether she was fined for this reason.
The British Prime Minister announced last week that he had paid the fine and had already offered his public apologies at the time.
The fine followed after British police investigations into twelve meetings with government employees at 10 Downing Street, Johnson’s office, among others. The affair surrounding parties and drinks is known as Partygate.
Johnson’s position came under heavy pressure earlier this year because of the scandal. Several members of his Conservative Party called for his resignation. Labour opposition leader Keir Starmer has again called for Johnson to leave after announcing the fines. He also believes that British finance minister Rishi Sunak should resign because he was present at the birthday party.