The British government apologized to Queen Elizabeth II on Friday on the eve of the funeral of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s staff at Downing Street’s residence on the eve of the epidemic’s ban on the country.
“We deeply regret that this happened during the national mourning and [Dauningstrītas] House 10 has apologized to the castle, “a spokesman for Johnson told reporters.
It is understood that the apology to the 95-year-old queen was made by telephone through official channels, but Johnson did not do so in person. The British prime minister is currently in isolation because a close family member has been infected with Covid-19.
In the UK, there are growing calls for Johnson to step down as prime minister over a series of scandals over the prime minister’s residence at a time when Covid-19 spreads have prevented people from meeting even their closest people.
This week, Johnson apologized to the British Parliament for attending staff events at his residence in May 2020. He said that one of the events went out in the garden of the residence for 20 minutes, believing it to be a work event, so he did not think he was violating the government’s own restrictions.
However, the scandal and public outrage are exacerbated by the Daily Telegraph’s announcement that two parties took place at Downing Street’s residence on April 16 last year, when the queen was about to bury her husband, who had been married for 73 years.
The newspaper, in which Johnson worked before his career as a politician, usually supports the Conservative Party, but sharply criticized the prime minister’s office for gathering at Johnson Street’s residence for two social events and dancing until late at night. The disc jockey who entertained the employees and the alcohol bought in the supermarket were illegally brought into the suitcase at the residence, the newspaper reported.
The events started separately, but later their participants merged. A total of about 30 people took part in both events, according to information published by the Daily Telegraph.
Johnson was not at Downing Street’s residence that day, the newspaper quoted the prime minister’s spokesman as saying. Johnson was at the prime minister’s official rural residence in Checkers.
According to the government regulations in force at the time, Prince Philip, who died on April 9 last year two months before his 100th birthday, was only allowed to attend the funeral of Windsor Castle on April 17, and the queen was required to sit alone, away from other immediate family members. who also sat scattered in the chapel.
At that time, social gathering was allowed only within one household or support bubble. As a result, thousands of families were unable to visit their sick or dying relatives and attend funerals.
Due to recent scandals, all three British opposition parties have demanded Johnson’s resignation. Five members of the Conservative Party have also publicly called on the Prime Minister to resign.
If 15% or 54 of the Conservative Party’s 360 members join in calling for a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister, and if Johnson does not resign, the party will hold election.
The Telegraph reported that 30 members of the Conservative Party had already sent letters of distrust to the prime minister to the party committee.
Although most government ministers have expressed support for the prime minister, for example, the influential finance minister, Rishi Sunak, has avoided open support for the prime minister.
Johnson has called on all parties to await the outcome of the internal investigation.
His former communications director, James Slek, apologized on Friday for the “anger and pain” caused by a farewell party in his honor on April 16.
Slek, deputy editor-in-chief of The Sun, “took full responsibility” and expressed “deep regret”.
Already last month, public information appeared about the restricted party at Downing Street Residence. This has undermined Johnson’s ratings.
In a new poll commissioned by The Times by sociological and market research firm YouGov, the opposition Labor Party is ahead of the Conservative Party by ten percentage points, the biggest surplus since 2013. 60% of respondents are convinced that Johnson should resign.
London police have said a possible start to a criminal investigation will be made after the government’s internal investigation is completed.
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