Markus Andrews

Boris Johnson is facing calls for his resignation, after police confirmed that fixed penalty notices are to be issued in at least 20 cases Covid lockdown law-breaking at parties in Downing Street and Whitehall.Downing Street denied that the imposition of fines of at least £100 amounted to proof that Mr Johnson misled parliament when he told the Commons last December that “all guidance was followed completely” in No 10.Declaring that the PM had “at all times … set out his understanding of events”, Mr Johnson’s official spokesperson said the prime minister will not comment on the outcome of police inquiries until the investigatory process is completed – potentially in several months’ time.And he confirmed that – apart from in the case of Mr Johnson himself – the names of those fined and details of any breaches will not be made public, even if they are senior figures in the PM’s team or members of his family.Under sustained questioning, the spokesperson refused to accept that the Metropolitan Police’s decision to refer the cases to the Criminal Records Office amounted to confirmation that the law was broken, insisting that this was a matter for police to determine.He confirmed that the PM has not yet been informed whether he is to be fined or summoned for interview by officers in Operation Hillman. And asked if Mr Johnson would resign if he was found to have broken Covid laws, he replied only: “That is a hypothetical question.”The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice campaign said it was now “crystal clear” that “whilst the British public rose to the challenge of making enormous sacrifices to protect their loved ones and their communities, those at 10 Downing Street failed”.Spokesperson Hannah Brady, whose father Shaun died aged 55 from Covid, said: “Frankly, bereaved families have seen enough. The PM should have resigned months ago over this. By dragging it out longer all he is doing is pouring more salt on the wounds of those who have already suffered so much.”In a statement, Scotland Yard said it will not reveal the identities of those fined, or even details of how many were found guilty of breaches in relation to each of the 12 events under investigation.It is not known whether the 20 cases relate to 20 different individuals, or whether particular ministers, advisers or officials have racked up a number of offences, which could lead to significantly higher fines.Downing Street said it had not been given the names of those involved and that they would not be required to inform their managers that they had been fined. In some case, officials may have to disclose fixed penalty notices for security vetting, depending on the level of their clearance.The Fair Trials campaign said that Downing Street staff were receiving different treatment from the many ordinary people who were “publicly named and shamed” after being found guilty of lockdown breaches without the opportunity to offer a defence in a questionnaire.Calling for a blanket amnesty and refunds of fines, the group’s Griff Ferris said: “Today’s announcement not only shows that they treated the public with contempt, but it calls into question the legitimacy of the coronavirus enforcement regime.”Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said Johnson should resign now, declaring: “The buck stops with the prime minister.””After over two months of police time, 12 parties investigated and over 100 people questioned under caution, Boris Johnson’s Downing Street has been found guilty of breaking the law,” said Ms Rayner.”The culture is set from the very top. The buck stops with the prime minister, who spent months lying to the British public, which is why he’s got to go.”It is disgraceful that while the rest of the country followed their rules, Boris Johnson’s government acted like they didn’t apply to them.”This has been a slap in the face of the millions of people who made huge sacrifices.“Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey also called for Johnson to go.”If Boris Johnson thinks he can get away with Partygate by paying expensive lawyers and throwing junior staff to the wolves, he is wrong,” said Davey.”We all know who is responsible. The prime minister must resign, or Conservative MPs must sack him.”Conservative MPs who previously demanded the PM’s resignation if he was found to have breached Covid rules did not respond to requests from The Independent for comment, with many thought to be waiting for the full publication of a report into the affair by Whitehall civil servant Sue Gray.But former chief whip Mark Harper suggested that any staff found to have broken the law would have to quit, tweeting: “Officials and special advisers are bound by the Civil Service Code…which says you must comply with the law.”Mr Johnson’s spokesperson said that disciplinary action may result from the findings of Ms Gray’s report, but declined to say whether individuals who were fined could carry on working in No 10.“There are specific HR processes in place for individuals. I am not going get into what those entail in detail,” he saidThe 12 events under investigation by Operation Hillman include as many as six which Mr Johnson is said to have attended.Last week it emerged that detectives investigating alleged parties had begun interviewing key witnesses, after 100 questionnaires were sent out to people at the reported gatherings.Potential punishments for people found to have attended illegal parties vary according to the law that was in place at the time.The default fine during the alleged Number 10 garden gathering in May 2020 was £100, but the government then increased penalties.At the time of Downing Street events in November 2020, England was in the grip of a national lockdown that forbade gatherings of two or more people inside unless an exemption applied.By then, the default fine for breaching the law had doubled to £200 and unprecedented £10,000 fines had been introduced for people responsible for organising large gatherings involving 30 or more attendees.Covid laws changed as different “tiers” came into force in December 2020, when a series of alleged Christmas and leaving parties took place, but the same fine scheme was in place and large social gatherings were banned.In April 2021, when a leaving party was held in Downing Street on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral, indoor celebrations remained illegal.Default fines were £200 for Covid offences, but a new £800 fine had been introduced for people attending parties of more than 15 people, and organisers of large gatherings could still be fined £10,000.Announcing the new £800 fine in January 2021, Priti Patel had told a press conference they were necessary because there remained a “small minority that refuse to do the right thing”. 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The EU has launched a legal challenge against the UK over offshore wind farm subsidies – sending a formal complaint to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for the first time since Brexit.The European Commission claims new criteria brought in by Boris Johnson’s government related to offshore wind projects breaks agreed subsidy rules.Brussels told the WTO that the change means the UK is now favouring British companies using domestically-sourced wind turbines – rather the imported “content” – when it comes to subsidies.“This violates the WTO’s core tenet that imports must be able to compete on an equal footing with domestic products and harms EU suppliers,” the Commission stated.British officials were said to be puzzled at the timing of the move. “At a time when the West should be united in defeating Putin, this act of envy by Brussels is ill-judged ill-timed,” a Whitehall source told The Financial Times.They added: “We should be working together to strengthen European clean energy security – not fighting this out in court.”“Our policies to boost Britain’s offshore wind industry are comparable to many other schemes in the EU, so we are puzzled why Brussels are challenging our scheme when they do pretty much the same.”The UK government said it would “rigorously contest” the challenge, which the two sides have two months to reach an agreement on before the EU decides whether to ask the WTO for an arbitration panel.The row comes as the two sides remain at loggerheads over the Northern Ireland Protocol, with foreign secretary Liz Truss insisting that a suspension of agree trade arrangements for the province remains on the table.The UK also faces a hefty fine over a European court ruling that found the British government was negligent in allowing EU markets to be flooded with cheap Chinese-made clothes and shoes.The European Court of Justice found that Britain “failed to fulfil its obligations” on customs controls while an EU member by failing to “combat fraud” on footwear and textiles.Meanwhile, the director of the leading international affairs think tank Chatham House urged Mr Johnson’s government UK government to use its leading role in the Ukraine crisis to repair relations with the EU.“A more specific UK–EU dialogue on security could also emerge from the Russia–Ukraine crisis,” said Dr Robin Niblet, suggested London and Brussels could work more formally on defence areas such as cyber, intelligence and disinformation.Dr Niblet warned that the ongoing impasses over the protocol and other trade disputes could thwart the opportunity to worth together on more “critical” matters. “The risk remains that allowing these areas of dispute and friction in the economic sphere to persist, and possibly fester, will undermine both sides’ desire to forge a closer relationship on foreign and security policy – as is now even more critical,” he said.Ms Truss suggested at the weekend that the Ukraine crisis had put the protocol dispute in perspective. “The scale of the issue that we’re facing with Russia is so big, it’s so important, it’s so vital that we all stick together,” she told the Sunday Telegraph.The foreign secretary said the option of triggering Article 16 and suspending parts of the protocol remained an option, but added: “I am working to fix it as a matter of urgency.” More

First 20 fines to be issued over Westminster’s partygate scandalDowning Street has refused to say if Boris Johnson will resign if he is fined over lockdown-breaching parties at No 10 after the police announced it is issuing fines for 20 cases of lockdown breaches. Mr Johnson has not yet been informed whether he will receive a fine, his official spokesperson said but added that they are “committed” to ensuring the public is informed if the prime minister is given a penalty notice. Twelve events across Downing Street and Whitehall are being investigated between May 2020 and April 2021, six of which the prime minister is alleged to have attended. Labour has accused the prime minister of being “not fit to lead us” as Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader said the prime minister should resign if he is fined today for the partygate scandal.“If the prime minister is fined because he has broken his own rules then I think his position is untenable,” she said. In a statement, Scotland Yard said that cases were being referred today to the ACRO Criminal Records Office, which will have responsibility for issuing fixed penalty notices, which are set at £100 for the first offence. Show latest update

1648565321Matt Hancock says PM should not consider resigning if fined over PartygateFormer health secretary Matt Hancock said that Boris Johnson should not resign if he is fined by the Met Police over the lockdown-breaking parties held in No 10.Speaking to BBC News this afternoon, Mr Hancock added: “On Covid, the PM got the big calls right, if you think about it most countries are still in covid restrictions…we were one of the first countries out because of getting those calls right”Emily Atkinson29 March 2022 15:481648564321PM ‘unfit to lick boots of public’, says LammyShadow foreign secretary David Lammy has said that the prime minister is “unfit to lick the boots of the public” over the fines issued today over the string of lockdown-breaching parties held in Downing Street.Tweeting this afternoon, Mr Lammy said: “Boris Johnson said no one broke lockdown laws while boozing in Number 10 as the country stayed at home. “We all knew it, but the 20 police fines issued today are the final proof. He lied and lied and lied. It’s pathological. Unfit to lick the boots of the public.Emily Atkinson29 March 2022 15:321648563519Politics Explained: Will Boris Johnson survive Partygate despite police issuing fines?It should be a hugely significant event. Metropolitan Police detectives have concluded that the law was broken on numerous occasions at Downing Street and Whitehall departments during the Covid-19 crisis.Can Boris Johnson weather another storm? Click here for Adam Forrest’s mid-afternoon digest:Emily Atkinson29 March 2022 15:181648562531Fines show No 10 failed public, say bereaved familiesBereaved families who lost loved ones to Covid-19 have said that the fines issued to government officials today over the Partygate saga show that No 10 failed the public over the course of the pandemic.Hannah Brady, spokesperson for Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, said: “A year down the line, far from offering closure, the prime minister’s team are being fined for breaking their own rules regularly and blatantly. The same rules that families across the country stuck with even when they suffered terribly as a consequence“It’s crystal clear now that whilst the British Public rose to the challenge of making enormous sacrifices to protect their loved ones and their communities, those at 10 Downing Street failed.“Frankly, bereaved families have seen enough. The PM should have resigned months ago over this. By dragging it out longer all he is doing is pouring more salt on the wounds of those who have already suffered so much.”Emily Atkinson29 March 2022 15:021648561859Simon Case should reveal fine if he gets one, says Adam WagnerHuman Rights barrister Adam Wagner tweeted that cabinet secretary Simon Case should reveal his fine if he is issued one. Maryam Zakir-Hussain29 March 2022 14:501648561259The Metropolitan Police has announced that 20 cases of lockdown breaches in Downing Street and Whitehall will be made the subject of fixed penalty notices, the first tranche of fines to be issued over the “Partygate” scandal that rocked Boris Johnson’s government this winter. My colleague Joe Sommerlad has more. Maryam Zakir-Hussain29 March 2022 14:401648560359Our home affairs editor Lizzie Dearden on why Covid ‘laws’ are wrongly being referred to as ‘rules’:Maryam Zakir-Hussain29 March 2022 14:251648559459What exactly have Boris Johnson and his officials said about social gatherings during the partygate saga?Take a look at our Twitter thread of what exactly the prime minister said about the lockdown-breaking parties when they came to surface.Maryam Zakir-Hussain29 March 2022 14:101648558259Labour MP Nadia Whittome joined the host of Labour politicians criticising the prime minister for “lies”. She said: The #partygate fines are more evidence of the PM’s lies, even if he isn’t given one. He lied when he said ‘all guidance was followed completely’. He lied when he said ‘there was no party’. He said he ‘must take responsibility’. If he doesn’t resign today it’s yet another lie.’” Maryam Zakir-Hussain29 March 2022 13:501648557659Daughter who lost her father to Covid says ‘the buck stops with Boris Johnson’A woman who lost her father to Covid-19 has said “the buck stops with Boris Johnson“ after it was announced the first 20 fines will be issued over alleged lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street and Whitehall.Safiah Ngah, from Islington, north London, lost her father Zahari Ngah, 68, to coronavirus in February 2021.The 29-year-old said it was “really frustrating and it makes me incredibly angry that we even have to hear that the Government didn’t take their own rules seriously.“I think there’s a real discrepancy between the way that the public viewed the pandemic and the way that the Government viewed it, and it really feels like they were just taking it as a bit of a joke.“I think that the buck stops with Boris Johnson. It’s absolutely his responsibility and as the leader, he should take responsibility for what goes wrong.”Maryam Zakir-Hussain29 March 2022 13:40 More

The Metropolitan Police has announced that 20 cases of lockdown breaches in Downing Street and Whitehall will be made the subject of fixed penalty notices, the first tranche of fines to be issued over the “Partygate” scandal that rocked Boris Johnson’s government this winter.The Met said it would not disclose the identities of the recipients of the fines, although Mr Johnson’s office has said it will reveal whether or not the prime minister himself has received one and, so far, has not done so.The force said officers were working through a “significant amount of investigative material” as part of its probe into 12 social events that took place in Westminster between 2020 and 2021 while the rest of the country was living under strict social restrictions in order to hold back the coronavirus pandemic, unable to go to work, meet friends or attend to ailing loved ones in many instances.Mr Johnson is alleged to have attended at least six of the 12 gatherings under scrutiny and is one of over 100 people, along with his wife Carrie Johnson and Cabinet secretary Simon Case, who were recently asked to complete a questionnaire about the affair by officers.More fines could follow as the investigation continues (promising further waves of bad publicity for the government), two months after senior civil servant Sue Gray submitted evidence she had compiled to the Met in the course of carrying out her own internal inquiry into Partygate, a scandal that placed Mr Johnson’s premiership in severe jeopardy before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February allowed him to play the great statesman on the world stage and drove the matter from the media spotlight.Only a brief, redacted version of Ms Gray’s report has appeared so far, in which she diagnosed a “failure of leadership” on the government’s part for allowing an informal party culture to develop at Downing Street in blithe indifference to the rules the government had set for the electorate to live by, resulting in secretive “bring your own booze” garden parties, birthday celebrations and “wine time Fridays”.Labour Party deputy leader Angela Rayner appeared on Sky News on Tuesday morning and repeated her demand that Mr Johnson resign if he is ultimately fined for his part in breaching Covid-19 regulations, arguing that his position would be “untenable”, a call a number of Mr Johnson’s fellow Conservatives supported earlier this year and may back again.But the prime minister has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, admitting he attended one Downing Street bash but “believed implicitly that it was a work event” and has expressed disgust over a video obtained by ITV News of his own staff appearing to mock the suggestion that they had held clandestine Christmas parties, an incident that led to the tearful resignation of top aide Allegra Stratton in December.The recipient of a fixed penalty notice for breaching Covid restrictions will be fined £100 for a first offence, rising to £200 if they fail to pay it within 14 days.The extent of the fine issued doubles with each further breach of the laws up to a maximum of £10,000.If someone chooses to contest the notice, police will then review the case and decide whether to withdraw it or take the matter to court.The administration of fines is dealt with by Acro, the criminal records office for England and Wales, which receives and processes the payments required.A fixed penalty notice is reserved for only minor offences, like parking violations, and is not considered a caution or a criminal violation so will not land the recipient with a criminal record, although it can be recorded on the Police National Computer for future reference.Non-payment of the fine could result in prosecution, however. More

The UK is entering a “new phase” in its supply of military equipment to Ukraine, as it provides kit which will help the country’s defenders regain territory from the faltering Russian invaders, cabinet has been told.Downing Street declined to say what new equipment will be sent to president Volodymyr Zelensky’s government, but indicated that it will not include tanks or other materiel which might escalate the crisis by being viewed by Moscow as offensive, rather than defensive.But Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson said the UK was “considering all possible options when it comes to making sure the Ukrainian government have what they need to defend themselves”.In a phone call with other leaders the Quint group – the US, UK, France, Germany and Italy – on Tuesday, Mr Johnson will urge allies to step up their military, diplomatic and economic support for Kyiv.Mr Johnson told this morning’s weekly meeting of cabinet that a Russian ceasefire would not be enough for the UK to ease its sanctions on Vladimir Putin’s regime.He declined to set a threshold for relaxing sanctions, but pointed to a recent article in which foreign secretary Liz Truss said it must involve at least a ceasefire and withdrawal of troops from Ukrainian territory.Joint Intelligence Committee chair Sir Simon Gass briefed cabinet that Putin’s ambition swiftly to conquer Ukraine and topple its government had failed “due to staunch opposition, poor planning and defensive support provided by countries like the UK,” said Mr Johnson’s official spokesperson.He added that Putin’s regime was “seeking to apportion blame for that failure and there were ongoing reports of poor morale and military failures”.Chief of defence staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin told the meeting that the UK was “heading for a new phase in its support for Ukraine as the Ukrainian army sought to defend and regain territory”.Asked what form this new phase of support will take, Mr Johnson’s spokesperson told reporters: “It was reflecting that the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian military have different asks of us as we provide further defensive military capability.“Obviously they are in a different place in their situation. There was the invasion and now they are seeking to defend and also regain territory.”He added: “What we want to do is make sure that we are responding to what President Zelensky requires, what the Ukrainian government requires to defend its country – and they are being extremely successful in that, in part because of some of the equipment we are providing.“Now we are looking at what further equipment and what capabilities we can provide, but I’m not going to get into what that might be.”Cautioning against any suggestion that the UK might provide battle tanks to the Ukrainian army, as President Zelensky has requested, he added: “We would do nothing that would have an escalatory effect.” More

The government is to promote “career opportunities” in picking fruit and vegetables in an attempt to stop produce going unharvested on British farms, a minister has said.A shortage of seasonal agricultural labour prompted largely by Brexit saw crops rotting in the fields last year after EU workers stayed away – with UK farmers losing millions of pounds.Now ministers say the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will team up with the Department for Work and Pensions “to raise awareness of career opportunities” in the sector among British workers.Opposition politicians said ministers were responsible for the shortages by making it harder for farmers to recruit from Europe, and claimed there is now no real plan to make up the shortfall. In response to a question from peers about how to avoid a repeat of last year, agriculture minister Lord Benyon said: “The government recognises the importance of a reliable source of labour for crop picking and packing, and that it is a key part of bringing in the harvest for the horticultural sector. “Defra is working closely with industry and other government departments to understand labour supply and demand, and to help our world-leading growers access the labour they need to ensure our crops are picked and not left unharvested.”The minister said the government had extended visas for seasonal workers from other countries and acknowledged “the sector’s reliance on foreign workers”, with 30,000 available.But he added: “Defra is also working with industry and the Department for Work and Pensions to raise awareness of career opportunities within the food and farming sectors among UK workers.”The government says the industry also has to do more to attract UK workers with better “training, career options, wage increases and to invest in increased automation technology”.The minister’s comment came in response to a written parliamentary question by cross bencher Baroness Kennedy, who urged ministers to explain “what plans they have to ensure that in summer 2022 fruit and vegetables in the UK will not be left unharvested”.The renewed push comes after the government’s Pick For Britain campaign flopped and was scrapped after just 12 months. Ministers spent £30,000 promoting the scheme, which failed to recruit its target of 60,000 willing British volunteers to save country’s crops during Covid pandemic.The waste of the thousands of tonnes of unharvested food comes at a time of rising prices and increasing cost of living. The annual rate of inflation across the economy was 6.2 per cent in February 2022, a 30-year high.Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrats’ food and rural affairs spokesperson said: “British farmers produce some of the best food in the world, yet the Tories seem happy for another summer of fruit and veg rotting in our fields – despite Putin’s war in Ukraine threatening to starve us of food from abroad.“It was always reprehensible for Conservative Ministers to cause these shortages by making it harder for British farmers to recruit the workers they need. It’s even more unforgivable that they still don’t have anything approaching a plan to solve them.“Ministers must get a grip or start looking for new career opportunities of their own.” More

The Metropolitan Police has announced fines for 20 government staff members over law-breaking parties held at Downing Street and Whitehall during the Covid pandemic.Scotland Yard wouldn’t identify recipients of the fixed penalty notices – though No 10 has said it will reveal it Boris Johnson gets one. The force has warned that more people could face fines later.Labour has accused the prime minister of “lying” about events and called on him to resign. So what exactly have Mr Johnson, his officials and ministers said about social gatherings during the partygate saga?‘All guidance follow’ – Partygate story breaksOn 1 December, Boris Johnson told the Commons “all guidance was followed completely in No 10” after it emerged gatherings had been held during periods of strict Covid curbs the previous Christmas.Labour leader Keir Starmer accused of holding “boozy parties”. Mr Johnson’s press secretary said she didn’t “recognise the reports” of Christmas parties in Downing Street.‘No rules broken’ – Stratton videoSenior No 10 aide Allegra Stratton was captured laughing about a “cheese and wine” party in a leaked video which emerged on 7 December. She later resigned.Mr Johnson apologised “unreservedly” for any offence caused the clip in the Commons, but also claimed: “I have been repeatedly assured since these allegations emerged that there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken.”Sobbing Allegra Stratton resigns over No 10 party video‘Work event’Mr Johnson was grilled again in the Commons on 12 January – admitting he did attend an event in the No 10 garden in May 2020 organised by his private secretary Martin Reynolds.The PM said: “I believed implicitly that this was a work event, but with hindsight, I should have sent everyone back inside.” He also referred to the event as “people at work, talking about work”.Mr Johnson also suggested that the event “could be said technically to fall within the guidance”, and said: “No 10 is a big department with a garden as an extension of the office”.He later said: “Nobody told me that what we were doing was against the rules, that the event in question was something – that we were going to do something that wasn’t a work event.”‘Ambushed by cake’In emerged on 25 January that No 10 staff held a birthday party for Mr Johnson. No 10 said “staff gathered briefly in the Cabinet Room” and said the PM “was there for less than 10 minutes”.Conservative MP Conor Burns, Northern Ireland minister, said it was not a “premeditated” party – saying: “He was, in a sense, ambushed with a cake.” The Tory minister later claimed he was told there was no cake.‘Farewell speech’Further reports emerged in January of two leaving drinks parties held at No 10 the night before Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021. No 10 said James Slack, former director of communications, “gave a farewell speech” to thank staff at his leaving event.Furious Labour MP condemns ‘spineless’ ministers for breaching Covid rules‘Didn’t get drunk’ defence?Robert Peston reported in Ferbruary that Mr Johnson’s legal defence would be that he went back to “proper” work immediately after the drinks events he attended under scrutiny by Met police detectives.The ITV host also claimed that “if he can prove that he didn’t get drunk and incapacitated … his legal advisors seem to think there is a chance he can prove said events were simply part of his working day”.Wearing of suits and ‘fluff’ defencesAmong the other defences and excuses offered, cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said it was important to consider whether rules and regulations were “too hard on people.”Rees-Mogg also dismissed concerns over parties as “fluff” and “fundamentally trivial” earlier this month, given the scale of the Ukraine crisis.Asked about a photo showing Downing Street staff having a drink on May 15, 2020, deputy PM Dominic Raab said the fact people were in suits showed it was a business meeting.Foreign secretary Liz Truss said people should simply “move on” after the prime minister apologised for partygate events.Theresa May tells PM he either didn’t understand Covid rules or thought he was exempt‘Do the right thing’Confirmation that No 10 and Whitehall staff broke Covid laws – specifically the Health Protection Regulations – has also raised the question of hypocrisy once again.Matt Hancock, Nadine Dorries and other ministers attacked “selfish” people for not following the lockdown rules to stay at home during the first lockdown months of the pandemic in 2020.It emerged earlier this year that Mr Johnson had written to a seven-year-old girl in March 2020 after she had cancelled her own birthday party because of Covid rules. “Josephine sets a great example to us all,” the PM tweeted at the time.Announcing £800 fines for anyone attending house parties last January, home secretary Priti Patel condemned the “small minority that refuse to do the right thing … If you don’t follow rules then the police will enforce them”. More

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner has called for Boris Johnson to go after fines were issued by police over lockdown-breaching parties at Downing Street and Whitehall.Ms Rayner has previously said that Mr Johnson should resign if he was personally fined for breaking laws imposed to prevent the spread of Covid-19, though party leader Keir Starmer earlier this month appeared to back away from this position in the name of “unity” during the Ukraine crisis.But following today’s Metropolitan Police announcement that 20 fixed penalty notices are to be issued for breaches of the criminal law, the Labour deputy leader said that Mr Johnson should take responsibility for behaviour at 10 Downing Street under his watch.”After over two months of police time, 12 parties investigated and over 100 people questioned under caution, Boris Johnson’s Downing Street has been found guilty of breaking the law,” said Ms Rayner.”The culture is set from the very top. The buck stops with the prime minister, who spent months lying to the British public, which is why he’s got to go.”It is disgraceful that while the rest of the country followed their rules, Boris Johnson’s government acted like they didn’t apply to them.”This has been a slap in the face of the millions of people who made huge sacrifices.“Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey also called for Johnson to go.”If Boris Johnson thinks he can get away with Partygate by paying expensive lawyers and throwing junior staff to the wolves, he is wrong,” said Davey.”We all know who is responsible. The prime minister must resign, or Conservative MPs must sack him.”The SNP’s deputy Westminster leader Kirsten Oswald MP said: “The confirmation by the Metropolitan Police that the law was broken and initial fines have been issued expose Boris Johnson’s remarks that no parties were held or that the rules were followed as being flatly untrue.“This damning development once again highlights the scale of rule-breaking at the heart of Boris Johnson’s corrupt government.“While the public were following the rules imposed upon us all and making difficult sacrifices to protect each other, Boris Johnson and his Tory colleagues were breaking them without a care.“The public will rightly want answers and accountability, and it is vital that there is transparency in this ongoing investigation and that must involve full disclosure of precisely who, among ministers and senior civil servants, is being fined for breaking the law.“Boris Johnson should have resigned a long time ago over the boozy rule-breaking parties, but his ego and lack of dignity led him to desperately cling on.“The reality is that the longer he stays in office the more lasting the damage will be.” More