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BORIS JOHNSON IS reportedly preparing to oust members of his inner circle over the partygate affair as another Conservative MP called for him to resign.
The British Prime Minister is devising a policy announcement blitz and a cull of his top team as he looks to survive the publication of senior civil servant Sue Gray’s report into lockdown-busting parties in No 10, The Sunday Times reported.
Martin Reynolds, the Prime Minister’s principal private secretary who sent an email inviting staff to “bring your own booze” drinks in the No 10 garden during the first coronavirus lockdown, and his deputy Stuart Glassborow are likely to be forced out of Downing Street, according to the newspaper.
No 10 chief of staff Dan Rosenfield’s position could also be at risk but officials in Downing Street refused to be drawn on the reports of a staff shake-up when these were put to them.
It comes as a sixth Conservative MP on Saturday called for Johnson to quit over the way he has handled the revelations.
Former children’s minister Tim Loughton, in a post on Facebook, said Johnson’s position had become “untenable” and that his “resignation is the only way to bring this whole unfortunate episode to an end”.
Apologising for the “great hurt” caused to his constituents by the allegations, the East Worthing and Shoreham MP added: “Frankly the issue for me is not how many sausage rolls or glasses of prosecco the Prime Minister actually consumed.
I have regretfully come to the conclusion that Boris Johnson’s position is now untenable, that his resignation is the only way to bring this whole unfortunate episode to an end and I am working with colleagues to impress that view on Number 10.https://t.co/HhjiUHVpPW
— Tim Loughton MP (@timloughton) January 15, 2022
“The reason for my conclusion in calling for him to stand down is the way that he has handled the mounting revelations in the last few weeks.
“Obfuscation, prevarication and evasion have been the order of the day when clarity, honesty and contrition was what was needed and what the British people deserve.”
Loughton said he knows “what I need to do” if the Prime Minister does not quit in the “next few days”, in an indication he could be prepared to submit a letter of no confidence in Mr Johnson to Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench MPs.
Only a handful of Tories have publicly declared they have submitted letters to the 1922 Committee, but the Telegraph said sources estimated about 20 might have been handed in – although that is well short of the 54 needed to trigger a leadership vote.
The Sunday Times reported Johnson will look to get on the front foot and save his position, having last week admitted attending the No 10 garden party on 20 May 2020, by making a series of “populist” announcements in the coming weeks.
He will focus on reducing the NHS backlog and tackling the small boat crossings in the Channel, while freezing the BBC licence fee for two years, it was reported.
Lockdown parties
The Conservative Party leader could also put in place a “booze ban” in No 10 following the series of embarrassing claims of Covid rule breaking.
Downing Street drew the ire of furious Tory MPs as allegations of wrongdoing continued to emerge last week.
No 10 was forced to apologise to Buckingham Palace on Friday after it emerged two staff parties were reportedly held on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral.
Witnesses said alcohol was drunk and guests danced to music as two after-work events merged on 16 April 2021, with a person sent to a local shop with a suitcase to buy wine, according to the Telegraph, which first reported the allegations.
Former minister Andrew Percy, MP for Brigg and Goole, said he was “irritated” staff could not see that such alleged behaviour was “not acceptable”.
Meanwhile, the spotlight intensified on the Prime Minister’s wife, Carrie Johnson, after she admitted to breaching coronavirus guidelines.
The Sunday Telegraph published a photograph of Carrie Johnson embracing a friend at a social event in London in September 2020.
At the time, Government guidance called for people to “stay two metres apart from people you do not live with where possible”, or one metre if taking the extra precaution of meeting outdoors.
The rule of six was in place at the time the photograph was taken, which the paper said was 17 September.
A spokeswoman said: “Mrs Johnson was one of a group of six seated outside celebrating a friend’s engagement.
“Mrs Johnson regrets the momentary lapse in judgement in briefly hugging her friend for a photograph.”
Reports have previously suggested that Mrs Johnson, a former Tory adviser, was present at the 20 May 2020 “bring your own booze” event, while a photograph published in The Guardian shows her sat with her husband and Reynolds in the No 10 garden on 15 May, five days earlier.
In related news, Labour leader Keir Starmer, boosted by polling which put his party ten points in front of the Tories, has pledged to voters that he would preside over a government with “integrity” and that could “restore trust” if he wins the next election.
Starmer, writing in the Sunday Mirror, looked to keep the pressure on Johnson, saying: “The Prime Minister’s actions, and his inability to take any responsibility for them, means he can no longer do his basic duties.
“In the public interest, he should resign.”
A survey by Opinium put Labour on 41% of the vote share, with the Conservatives on 31%.
The polling company said Johnson’s approval rating had plummeted to minus 42% – almost a 20 point fall in a week – and that almost two-thirds of people surveyed thought he should stand down.
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He could throw a welcome back party for Novak Djokovic
@Dave Phelan: surely you mean a welcome back “meeting”?
Throw everyone else under the bus!
@Jason Dawson: he will try to keep power at any cost. Don’t be surprised if he tries to trigger article 16 as a distraction
@Ronnie Smith: I agree
@Jason Dawson: Where is this famous bus that people are constantly being thrown under in recent years?? The distance from the road surface to the undercarriage of a bus is c.30cm so how would anybody fit there? The use of meaningless clichés has gone beyond a joke. Really annoying, at the end of the day, going forward, in all fairness, so to speak.
The most secure building in the world policed by the police and they didn’t know there was a few parties going on would not happen in Ireland with the Garda I or would it
@Donogh O Loghlin: as history shows, any Garda who dared would find themselves posted to the @rse end of the country.
The Man has no loyalty for his teammates, typical of a dictator, do anything to save himself.
Ahh a good start of a day with a cup of coffee with the daily Boris topic from the journal.
@John Johnes: ‘Daily’ you say..! More like hourly John.
@Gavin Linden: you are spot on Gav.
I was trying to be gentle to journal.
When he told parliament “he thaugh it was a work event not a party” he was telling the truth. Because they were at it all the time. It is the culture in Whitehall.
And here at home we have our leaders doing the same thing plus one under investigation for leaking state secrets. It will be sad if Boris steps down before they do. Just think if someone can say Boris Johnson was a more morally capable person than yourself. Then again right now them all seem exactly the same. Lie, deflect, ignore the people. Not much difference currently.
@Wade Wilson: Johnson will not voluntarily step down. If he resigns it will be a Nixon-type resignation after his party told him the alternative. I don’t buy your argument at all. Morality is not the issue. Political survival is. The difference between Johnson and our own politicians is that at least our own politicians can do the ‘cosmetic’ chores of being a politician (giving interviews, making speeches, etc) without looking and sounding as if they did zero preparation and are just going to string i-d-i-o-t-i-c stream of consciousness thoughts together (“bunny hugging”, etc). It’s not much of a difference, but it is the barest minimum standard of being an elected politician.
@David A. Murray: he Room Next Door – Boris Johnson and Bunny Hugging https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=___6CBM5ktc
Looking at the picture of Carrie.. She may have participated in the partying but she definitely did get to the hairdresser!
Those who lie to others begin by lying to themselves. He’s completely divorced from reality and will find himself divorced from everything else soon. Good riddance. Over here, at least, we learned not to give power to any one party a long time ago.
Sure God love him he just got in with the wrong crowd. Once he gets rid of them he can resume his hard work again
In the words of Lady McBeth:
“Stand not upon the order of your going, but leave at once!”
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