Britons are boiling over what they perceive to a case of "the fish stinking at the head."
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s position is looking more and more vulnerable as more reports emerge of parties and gatherings in Downing Street during periods of COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions.
Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer accused Johnson of breaking COVID laws amid numerous allegations of parties and gatherings that were held by government staff, with some attended by Johnson himself, during lockdown.
In the last few days, more reports of parties have emerged, with Downing Street apologizing to Queen Elizabeth after it has emerged that two parties took place on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral last April, in which it’s alleged that a staff member was sent out to buy a "suitcase of wine."
Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Starmer said Johnson had "lied" about what he called "industrial-scale partying" in Downing Street.
"I think he broke the law, I think he’s as good as admitted that he broke the law," he told the BBC.
Johnson admitted to Parliament last week that he had attended a drinking party at Downing Street during the U.K.’s first COVID lockdown in May 2020 but said he believed it was a "work event."
Johnson has said that another picture showing him and his wife, as well as 17 Downing Street staff members, drinking wine and eating cheese in No.10's garden at a separate event in May 2020 showed "people at work."
A number of lawmakers within Johnson’s Conservative Party have called on the prime minister to resign, saying his position is now untenable as public anger has grown as more reports of parties being held in government buildings have emerged. Others have questioned Johnson’s judgment and the work culture in Downing Street.
