“Either he didn’t read the rules, or he didn’t understand the rules, or he thought they didn’t apply to him… which one of those three was it?” With this question, former Prime Minister Theresa May opened the attack on Johnson on Monday, during the emergency debate following the publication of Gray’s report. May did this after the top official found that drinks that took place during the lockdown on Downing Street were in violation of corona rules. Earlier, Johnson had argued in parliament that no rules had been broken, because the get-togethers were ‘work-related’.
Gray’s preliminary report was as concise as it was critical. Under Johnson, the top official concluded after analyzing sixteen lockdown drinks, a party culture had arisen at the heart of power. This was at odds with the gray veil that Johnson had placed over the rest of the country with his lockdown measures. Great idea to use the Downing Street garden as extra office space during a pandemic, but not for wine. Gray questioned the drinking culture in and around the official residence.
Police investigation
Gray’s leeway was limited because the police are conducting their own investigation into twelve lockdown drinks, a file with no fewer than three hundred photos. This gave Johnson the chance to refer to police findings that could take weeks or months during the emergency debate in the House of Commons. Johnson also took the opportunity to apologize once again and announce that Downing Street will be reorganized.
With desperation disguised as a fighting spirit, Johnson, who had had to cancel a telephone meeting with Vladimir Putin, then tried to shift his focus to vaccine success, to Brexit, to tensions elsewhere in the world. Rarely have the attacks been so harsh, furious and emotional. Scottish leader Ian Blackford was kicked out of the room after alleging Johnson lied in the House of Commons. Labor leader Keir Starmer noted that anyone who comes into contact with Johnson will eventually be harmed.
Own circle
Arrows from his own circle damaged Johnson the most. After May’s sweet revenge, party star Andrew Mitchell said he has lost faith in Johnson. The influential Steve Baker also seemed to have lost faith in the boss. And that on the second anniversary of Brexit. Representative Aaron Bell told how after his beloved grandmother’s funeral, he didn’t hug any family member, or drink tea after the funeral. ‘Does the Prime Minister think I’m a dork?’
If 54 Conservative MPs withdraw their confidence in writing, there will be a vote on Johnson’s premiership. That can happen quickly in the coming hours and days. A member of the government resigned on Monday evening, out of dissatisfaction with the drinks and with Johnson’s performance in parliament. During a meeting with the group, Johnson said he had no doubts about the seriousness of the pandemic, adding that he had been in ICU himself.
‘Partygate’ was spearheaded by Johnson’s longtime chief of staff Dominic Cummings. In a recently published interview with an American newspaper, he said that he is cleaning the sewers of British politics. Cummings didn’t have a good word for Johnson, who he says rules like a Roman emperor. Former Downing Street employee Nikki da Costa wrote in The Times that a fraternity ball culture has developed in the official residence, partly thanks to the actions of Chief of Staff Dan Rosenfeld, Cummings’ successor.
More and more questions are being raised about the role of Carrie Johnson, the young wife of the prime minister. Gray announced that the police will look at a party that the ‘First Lady’ is said to have organized on the evening of November 13, 2020 to celebrate the dramatic departure of her rival Cummings. Including the Abba hit The winner takes it all was turned. In the House of Commons, Johnson was asked whether he was present at this party in the official residence.
He promised that the police will come up with the answer in due course.